Letter to Maggie

In response to this: Link

I'm a naive follower of the Democratic Party responding to Maggie Alitz's letter accusing the Democrats of slandering Brett Kavanaugh. They didn't slander Neil Gorsuch, so there must be something different about Kavanaugh. We don't know if he's truthful about sexual abuse. He paints himself as a drinker, but never to excess. "In denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking, and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth." That's Chad Ludington who was present when Kavanaugh began a brawl that ended with Chris Dudley's arrest. He was aggressive when drinking as a youth and still seems belligerent today as evidenced by his attitude toward questioning by Senator Klobuchar. Further evidence of his lack of judicial temperament is his blaming questioning of him on "revenge on behalf of the Clintons."  Advice and consent by Congress isn't slander or conspiracy. Questioning his honesty and disposition is allowed.

Yes Ms. Alitz, Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and responsible for the emancipation of slaves. But Donald Trump is the sad culmination of the devolution of the party that began with the Southern Strategy put forth by Richard Nixon. That was a plan to win over southern Democrats who were angry about Lyndon Johnson's actions to advance civil rights. Lincoln would not have approved. You've left the Democratic Party and joined the Republicans, for whatever reason. Great! So did Strom Thurmond (in 1964 over civil rights) and Donald Trump. It was not a Democrat who found "fine people" among the neo-Nazis, Klansmen, white supremacists and other assorted racists in Charlottesville. It was Mr. Trump.

Nunes-Love From Maggie

Outsourcing a post to my extreme right with original humorless harpy of hate, Maggie Alitz.

Rep. Nunes, please do not resign. 

The “swamp” is still so bad if Rep. Nunes exposes his sources on the surveillance of the Trump campaign issue those people will be in danger. Blackmail and other pressures will come to these patriots.

That's the first half of it, and no, the second half didn't make anymore sense than the first. I appreciate that the people who write from y side of the political spectrum can at least string sentences together. I was good enough to at least put the period in after the word patriots. 

Letter From the Original HHH

Thanks Maggie! I was thinking of writing a letter on the firing of Preet Bharara and you made it so much easier.

So President Trump fired Attorney Bharara. Who cares? I do not know if Mr. Bharara is Muslim or not. Maybe everyone is trying to being politically correct.

Not everyone. She certainly isn't. For the record, his father was Sikh and his mother was Hindu. I believe his grandmother was Dutch, though. 

I thought I saw this linked at TPM yesterday. Couldn't find it today. In any case, lots of good stuff in it: Info and links and such. 

Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was removed from his post by the Trump administration last week, was overseeing an investigation into stock trades made by the president’s health secretary, according to a person familiar with the office.

Martha Stewart should be pissed. 

Wingnut Letter Day

My joy from the other day's 7 letters from sane, well-adjusted folks has been tempered somewhat by this letter today. It's not so much that he writes in support of Elise. I could understand doing that.

I’m writing in reply to the recent coverage of the moveon.org protests that took place outside Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s office in Glens Falls. I’m familiar with this George Soros (the billionaire) backed group having gone through the same thing when I ran the Glens Falls office for Congressman Chris Gibson. 

Yes, he started right off with move.on. And did anyone realize that Soros is a billionaire. A real one, not like the one in the WH.

Based on her votes, Congressional Quarterly ranked Congresswoman Stefanik among the most independent bipartisan members of Congress ranking her 21st most independent out of 435. Isn’t this what most of us want? 

Bullshit. And no that's not what I want. I live in a district that voted for Clinton twice, Gore, Kerry and Obama twice. I want a Democratic representative, preferably not a Blue Dog. 

When Chris Gibson was in office he too was ranked one of the most independent bipartisan members, but moveon.org doesn’t care about that. They only care these fine representatives are Republicans and goes after them.

Twice for move.on.

So what is the issue here with Ms. Stefanik? It isn’t a vote. Moveon.org is trying to say she is not accessible to constituents.

That's three.

We don’t need this George Soros backed group here in the North Country stirring the pot. It’s time moveon.org moves on.

That's four and he ends with a witty little pun. Maybe that's a punny little wit. OK, I'm officially scared of move.on and will check under the bed and in the closet before tucking in tonight. Oh, and I almost forgot. It's pretty likely that many of the folks protesting Elise Stefanik have no idea who George Soros or move. on are. Guess I should be grateful he didn't say they were getting paid. 

No Comrade, I Don't Support the Яepublican Party

Love when a HHH writes to the Post Star. I was worried that Trump's unpopularity and the increasing evidence that he's Putin's Puppet would dissuade them. Not to worry, there are fellow travelers still out there.

You say that President-elect Trump will never be your president. The fact is, he is the country’s president. 

Da! That he is. For how long, who knows. If I was a Republican Senator I'd be preparing articles of impeachment the minute he takes his hand from what is sure to be a smoldering Bible. 

When your President Obama won two times as our country’s elected leader, we didn’t dream of doing any of these things. We sucked it up and tried harder the next time. We never asked for a costly, foolish recount, even though it would have shown a forgery was committed.

No, you only went around blathering about his not being born in this country and being a Muslim not a Christian and making racist photoshops and on and on. As Charles Pierce would say on that last part "assumes facts not in evidence."

I am in agreement with Don Sage when he says real Americans support Trump’s victory. Real Americans would jail Hillary for all her corruption to our great country. All you non-supporters are not true Americans. You don’t have to stay in America. If you choose to stay, be a real American and grow up.

I don't use the term humorless harpy of hate loosely. I am a true American and being a true American means protesting when a con man becomes president. And I may not be alone.

If the recent historical pattern holds, Trump's initial job approval rating after he takes office could be in the low 40% range. To date, the lowest initial job approval rating in Gallup's records is 51%, held by both Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George H.W. Bush in 1989.

Happy Holidays, Humorless Harpy of Hate

One of my favorite writers was in the Post Star today. His work speaks for itself. Speak, Mario.

I personally feel, along with the silent majority who voted for President-elect Donald J. Trump, that he is the man who will make this country great again.

After eight years of deceit, lies, scandals and broken promises, it's time to “drain the swamp.” The present administration, led by anti-American Barack Hussein Obama, the community organizer, has been a total failure. I believe this man's allegiance has been to Islam, not to the U.S. Over the past eight years, the citizens of this nation have seen failed programs, a lack of a strong foreign policy, a doubling of the national debt, a weakened defense program, uncontrolled illegal aliens crossing our borders, increased violent crime on a daily basis by low-life felons and future felons in our inner cities and across our nation, a continued Islamic terrorist threat and the list goes on. I have no doubt that President-elect Donald Trump will address these issues with an open mind.

Merry Christmas.

I just love the Merry Christmas at the end of the rant. Not sure if that includes libtards. Well, Happy Holidays to you sir from the Christian Left. 

The Letters Keep Coming

I'll be so sad when this election is over and I don't have the daily LsTTE to read. Let's start with one of my old favorites, Marjorie Bovee.

I agree with Harrison Francett’s recent letter regarding Ken Tingley’s lack of outrage over Hillary’s continuous lies, past and current email scandals, attorney general and Bill Clinton’s secret plane conversation, the FBI’s coddling and Bill’s sexual actions as president that almost caused his impeachment. No mention of these hardly at all.

It's so sad that Gropegate is so much more titillating than an e-mail scandal. I will point out that Bill Clinton's infidelities were quite well-covered at the time they occurred. Oh God, were they!

Also not mentioned are the adulterous escapades of Democrats Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy. Eisenhower was said to have had a military girlfriend and Ronald Reagan was married more than once. JFK was known to have many women come forward regarding sexual matters while married to Jackie. Even with these sexual accusations, they carried on with the country’s business and made important decisions.   

It's a newspaper, not a history book. BTW, all those guys were able to competently run campaigns while carrying on their dalliances. Trump can't even do that. 

Unfair and lopsided news reporting by anyone suggests dictatorship control of the worst kind and brainwashing of the public to the reporter’s or TV news commentator’s own personal and political party’s agenda. We don’t have to worry about Russia as our minds are already being controlled by the press and mainstream media TV commentators on NBC, CBS, ABC, etc., who bombard our homes and lives with tilted information of their own choosing, not the facts from both sides of the stories. 

Hillary Clinton is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life. And you shouldn't bring up Russia since they are on the side of your candidate.

A dictator’s first line of control is the news and press, and it looks like the U.S. has been under a dictatorship for the past eight years at least. Do you really want more of the same? Actions speak louder than words (Bill Clinton, JFK, LBJ). America’s only chance for real change is finally here with Donald Trump, and we should not be afraid to give him a chance to make America great again along with us. No amount of Hillary’s lies and corrupt reporting will change my mind.

If I wasn't so amused I'd stick a fork in my eye. Thanks Margie!

A short mention of Mario Hepp because he is one of my old faves. 

Elise Stefanik is a steady breeze in a sea of corruption in New York state and this present scandal ridden administration. This woman has the right qualities to execute her position to its highest level; honesty, integrity and leadership, a quality that most politicians lack here in New York state and certainly within the Obama administration.

That was pretty much it. Points for brevity and the poetry of the steady breeze. Since Stefanik is running for Congress, I'm not sure what she's going to do about corruption in NY, tho. 

As always, the best is last. As the first shall be. I have some concern for the well-being of this man. I've been reading his letters for some time and do have some concern for his mental health. You're up, Stiling Knight. 

Although you made a mistake when you published your article in which you said “all of us are becoming less human,” at least you edit a paper that is admirably not the case of yellow journalism that is sweeping our country.

OK, I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a compliment. Always say something nice at the start. I try to do that in my letters, too. 

We may have already passed the point of no return by having accepted the Nazi condition ruled by Adolf Hitler. Everyone in the highest level of government was completely afraid of him. A mere glance at a certain person in the room with Hitler would mean that some other person in the room would not exist at some time within the next 24 hours.

Moving on quickly past the niceties. Oh yeah, wtf? I don't think he means that Hitler could kill with a glance. Not positive, tho.

That is what a dictatorship is, and a dictatorship is what I meant when you published my revelation that “Hillary Clinton directed and enforced her views on practically everything President Bill Clinton could say or do during the eight years Bill Clinton was president of the United States.”

So, she was cool with the blowjobs? And are you on the same thing John was on when he had his Revelations? Ergot maybe?

When the American Army closed in on Berlin in World War II on the west and the Russian Army closed in on the east, Hitler said “All is lost” and killed himself and his wife, but his bodyguard overheard Joseph Goebbels and his wife planning to kill their six teenage children. This greatly disturbed the bodyguard, and the Goebbels did kill their six teenage children.

I'm wondering how he knows that the bodyguard was greatly disturbed. Touching, if true. It's hard to get too weepy over the death of Goebbels and family. 

This is characteristic of a dictatorship when it ends. However, if we vote for a dictatorship on Nov. 8, there is no way it will ever end. There will be no armies approaching Washington, D.C.

On the subject of weepy. He seems a little misty that there will be no armies marching on Washington. I see that as a good thing. Also the thought of Democratic presidents from now til the end of time is kinda cool, too. 

If a phalanx of Jewish folks refuses to vote for the presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, they will have, by themselves, saved this country from a dictatorship in our country that will never end.

Yes, I'm sure the Jewish folks will be much better off with a guy endorsed by David Duke. 

Response to Stefanik Supporter

Another instance of the post title saying it all:

     I'd like to join Ms. Ramant and Mr. Derrick in condemning the remarks made by a Derrick supporter about Congresswoman Stefanik. Mr. Derrick stated, "My campaign does not condone any language that disparages women." Don't know what's "weak and phony" about that. Alright, the comments were deplorable, too.

     Here's what Megyn Kelly said about Donald Trump, "You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals." On Carly Fiorina, he said, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?" This is necessarily a small sample. Can you imagine what he's said about Ms. Clinton in private?

     In public he's said, "I think her bodyguards should drop all weapons. I think they should disarm. Let's see what happens to her. Take their guns away. It'll be very dangerous." And, "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people - maybe there is."

     I've never heard words of contrition from Donald Trump over misogynistic comments, assassination fantasies or for seven and a half years of Birtherism. Ms. Stefanik is supporting him without a discouraging word. Won't Ms. Ramant and her candidate join me in denouncing the hideousness of Donald Trump?

In my new kinder and gentler mode, I'm not even going to use the Humorless Harpies of Hate label, mostly because she wasn't one. Another step toward sainthood.

UPDATED: Sainthood will have to wait. I'm going to upgrade Ms. Ramant to triple H status. Upon re-reading her letter I rediscover this line:

Should Derrick be allowed to let this slip through the cracks with his latent position of these words that were said at his own event with a weak, phony “apology?” Man up Derrick!

That is certainly adequately humorless, harpyish and hate-filled. Congratulations Kathi Ramant!

Today in Humorless Harpies of Hate

One of my fave triple H's made an appearance in the PS today. This is the first draft of a reply.

     I’d like to respond to Ms. Thomas’ letter supporting Donald Trump. I am also supporting him all the way to the end of the convention in July. There are a few nits I need to pick, though. To say that socialism is one step away from communism is the equivalent of saying capitalism is one step away from fascism. There are a number of European countries that could be considered socialist, but are not bordering on Stalinism or Maoism.

     

     Hillary Clinton was absolved of guilt in Whitewater in September 2000. I presume “aiding four of our own to die on foreign soil” refers to Benghazi. It sounds as if you have information House Republicans could use. They’ve held hearings on it 21 times and investigated 8 times. Compare that to 22 and 2 for the 9/11 attacks. I’ll let Kevin McCarthy say it. “Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.”

    
     I’d normally be supporting Comrade Sanders more fervently. Because people of the right have attacked Hillary like rapid dogs for the last 28 years, I have grown sympathetic toward her. Why is it the right can’t be satisfied with attacking a Democratic president? They have to attack the whole family. I realize she started running for office in 2000. Michelle Obama has never run for office, though. And yes, I still remember Rush Limbaugh calling Chelsea the White House dog.    

I actually saw the show where Limbaugh pulled that. It was on his short-lived (rightfully) TV show. I did a search for whatever reason and came across this load of shit.

I kind of like this idea of first and last draft. So here we are with the babies killed. No actual babies were harmed in the production of this letter.

   I'd like to respond to Ms. Thomas' letter supporting Donald Trump. I am also supporting him, all the way to the end of the convention in July. There are a few nits I need to pick, though. To say that socialism is one step away from communism is the same as saying capitalism is one step from fascism. There are a number of European countries considered socialist, none of which are bordering on Stalinism.

     For the record, Hillary Clinton was absolved of guilt in Whitewater in September 2000. I presume "aiding four of our own to die on foreign soil" refers to Benghazi. It sounds as if you have information House Republicans could use. They've held hearings 21 times and investigated 8 times. Compare to 22 and 2 for the 9/11 attacks. Why would you have 4 times the number of investigations for Benghazi? Let's let Kevin McCarthy take that one. "Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping." No sense in letting a tragedy go to waste.

     And so we move to the "scandal" du jour. E-mails. Is she guilty of anything beyond poor judgment? Who knows? The accusations come from ilk similar to Representative McCarthy. Wolf! Normally I'd be fervently supporting Comrade Sanders. Besides being jaded by it, the 28 years of slurs against Hillary have left me somewhat sympathetic towards her. If she puts Michelle Obama on the ticket, I'm totally sold.

Triple H's For Trump

A couple of fine letters from Humorless Harpies of Hate For Trump today in the local fishwrap. Sorry, Ken Tingley. You know I love you and the Post Star. Don't be humorless. First up, Judy Thomas, who I do believe has been featured at Hometown previously and who buys exclamation points by the gross. (Update: Yes, she does have a previous appearance. One more for a free eggroll.)

I have never heard of any person seeking election being sought to be stopped as Donald Trump, and by his own party as well as Democrats. I have seen our government becoming more socialist in the past few decades, certainly run by a dictator in the past seven years.

I have to question how hard she actually looked. Then, I'm not a historian either. I would suggest that if she truly believes the last 7 years have resembled a dictatorship she should take a look at actual dictatorships. 

Only one person can save our democracy, Donald Trump! He is committed to no one but the American people!

He may be a billionaire. No, really, I mean he may be. Whatever he is though, he's "jes' folks."

No one could ever reach the success this man has by being a “loose cannon.” He’ll surround himself with the best advisers in the country, just as he has in business. 

Sure he will. 

If enough people are tired of being oppressed and find their spine, we will live in a democracy again. If not, hello tyranny!

It's a little known fact that the first cut of Sounds Of Silence went, "Hello Tyranny my old friend, I'm come to speak with you again." It would have been so much better that way. 

We’ll no longer have a president, we’ll have a queen. No one has any chance of stopping Hillary the horrible but Trump! Wake up! She has bought enough people, including some Republicans, to get her propaganda spread like an epidemic!

Shouty, isn't she? So now I'm picturing Hillary with that Hagar viking helmet. It's gonna be a long election season. 

What have you got for us, Karen Dewey?

I have reluctantly become a 'Donald Trump for president' indoctrinee. I know he’s a wild card, a big gamble, a loose cannon, but maybe, just maybe if his promises are sincere, and I think they are, he’s the cure for the Washington, D.C., quagmire. He’s going to need his hard edges smoothed over and a whole lot of expert advice when he wins the presidency.

Well, she and Judy agree that Trump is going to need advisers. Maybe he can get Dick Cheney to take time off from waterboarding kitties and puppies and mentor another blank slate. There does seem to be some contention as to whether Herr Donald is actually a loose cannon or not, though. Get together and iron that out, would you. 

Now the Democrats — Bernie Sanders, a socialist really, and four more years of the same with Hillary? Our country wouldn’t survive. I would love to see Trump shake up Washington, D.C.’s bureaucracy (set of officials following inflexible routine).

At least she's not saying it's been a dictatorship the last 7 years. I really love the inclusion of the definition for bureaucracy. That's so thoughtful that I almost feel bad calling her a humorless harpy of hate. There is some stuff about how the state of Utah pays Orrin Hatch's tailor, but I'll skip that. 

We gave an actor a chance with Ronald Reagan and we won. Let’s try an unpolished businessman and let some fresh air in.

Roll the dice, Sheeple!

Thank the God of Rhetoric

Or Ken Tingley at the Post Star. My letter ran today. So, I was happy when I opened the paper and saw it was there. I got happier when I saw that Andrew DiCroce had the letter preceding mine and ecstatic when I saw that it was also on guns. Thanks for coming early, Santa.

Right on cue the good little puppets at The Post-Star come out with once again another in their long line of anti-gun propaganda, this time they use training as the lead in. Gun control makes it easier to defend yourself? What are you guys smoking? It is gun control that has put more people in harm’s way and got more people killed. Almost every one of these mass shootings has happened in gun free zones. Same weekend as California, 18 died and over 70 injured in Chicago, by the way has the toughest gun laws. Did real well for the 18 killed?

On 9/11 thousands of lives lost and tens of billions of damage was done with box cutters! Oklahoma City, hundreds killed and millions of dollars in damage done with a van, diesel fuel and fertilizer, not one gun used! Israel, how many have been killed or injured because of car and knife attacks? DWI, how many deaths and have more laws stopped them? Heroin, how many stories about the epidemic have you done? Last time I checked it's illegal to make, sell or use, will more laws change that?

It is not the tool that is used, but the heart and mind of the people who use it, and that is the "common sense" part that you keep missing! Let’s face it, your way of doing it has not worked, and you just want to keep going down the same road of insanity doing the same thing over and over. 

May as well rerun mine.

If there was an epidemic killing 90 Americans a day, 33,000 a year, do you think we would be wise to spend money researching it? Yes, is the answer I'm hoping for. If so, you're not a congressman protecting his precious standing with the NRA. Mass shootings are less than the tip of the iceberg at 2 percent to 3 percent of the firearm deaths in this country. We need to have someone to look at the 97 percent that don't run on TV for days on end.

The Dickey Amendment in 1996 cut off funding to the CDC because Congress (the NRA) was afraid that research into firearm deaths would hurt gun and ammo sales. A study prior to the amendment found that having a gun in your house does not make you and your family safer. Why are gun producers allowed to control research on their deadly product? And push misinformation on the public? We don't allow cigarette manufacturers to control tobacco research and education.

Even Jay Dickey now says, "Doing nothing is no longer an acceptable solution." Continuing to allow the National Rifle Association to control gun policy in the U.S. is also not an acceptable solution. We can start fixing that next November in this district. Anyone who's stamped Grade A Prime venal by their organization is not going to help solve the problem. 

I have a few random thoughts on Mr. DiCroce's letter, though I hope not as random as the thoughts that run skittering around in the letter itself. He starts out complaining about the editorial and ends up going onto 9/11, Oklahoma City, Israel, DWI and heroin.  At one time, I would respond to the Post Star with a letter of my own disputing some of those fine points he makes. Reasons not to; include not wanting to pick low hanging fruit, not wanting to pick on the slow kids and not wanting to discourage him from writing these sterling missives. Dear Lord, don't stop! I do, in some perverse way, enjoy reading them and I can't believe he's doing his side any good. In fact, it's hard to believe that there isn't some mucky-muck, GOP chairman or some such that doesn't contact this guy and say, "I beseech you to please stop writing to the editor."  

Also wanted to point out that at least I answer my rhetorical questions. Really wish he had because I believe that on some of them I may not have been answering quite as he was indicating. On DWI: yes, I believe more laws have at least caused there to be fewer, though of course it cannot be proven. On heroin: the PS has run stories on the epidemic. Though maybe his point is that the stories didn't stop the abuse of this drug. 

More Wingnut Letters in the Post Star

Just go read this one. He must be fun at Thanksgiving dinner. I can just see the kinfolk avoiding him like the plague. There's no sense in trying to pick and choose any juicy tidbits from it. I thought about how I would respond to it with a letter and couldn't think where to even start. These aren't worth the time and effort anyway. Why wrestle with pigs? You just get covered with mud and the pig loves it.

Here's one I really liked and it was on the same day as John Siebrecht's. This is from a junior humorless harpy of hate. I find it hard to believe that this 9 year old was precocious enough to have written this letter all on her own. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty about fisking it.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Julia Westfall. I am 9 years old. I go to school at Kensington Road School in Glens Falls, New York. I’m in fourth grade, and my class and I have had some thoughts. Wait! Please don’t put this letter down when you read this for this is important! 

Don't listen Barack, it's a trap and you got better things to do than read letters from junior concern trolls. 

We had a question while we were reading about the presidential election process and it was, “Can a Democratic president pick a Republican vice president?” They could, we found out, but they normally don’t. 

They don't because Republicans are the spawn of Satan, Julia. 

We believe if there’s a Republican president, then there should be a Democratic vice president, and vice versa. 

Well, you're wrong. Get over it.

This class has ages in it that only range from 8 to 10 years old and we want to help our country, do you? Will you listen to us? We’ll give you examples. So listen.

You want to help the country? Study hard, if you pick your nose don't eat it and stop writing condescending letters to the leader of the free world.

If it was an actual law that Republican presidents had to choose a Democratic vice president and vice versa, then our country would be better off. If they had to work together, there'd be 10 less minutes arguing about parties!

Did your teacher promise you a magic sparkle pony for writing this letter. You must believe in those and Santa Claus, too. There ain't no Santa. Feel better? Oh, and your teacher is on her way to the secret re-education camps that Obama runs. And, if you're not careful you're getting a one-way ticket there yourself. 

Back to the point about showing you examples. I said that because in school we learn to: share, be nice, cooperate, and don’t be mad about nothing! Do those rules only apply to children?

You're making me throw up in my mouth a little. Yes, they only apply to children and it doesn't work then either. 

Because you’re fighting against Republicans for nothing! What I’m about to say goes for a lot of things ... a Democrat and a Republican working together will spark new ideas and solutions to problems. Don’t you want to help our country?

How did you pack so much wrong into just a few sentences? Are you related to Maggie Alitz or John Siebrecht? First, the president is not fighting against the Republicans for nothing. They are trying to create Hell on Earth and Barack Obama is taking stand against that. Second, there is not a Republican politician in this country who would consider working with BO on anything. Third, see the Hell on Earth thing. 

We, my classmates, are this country’s future. After all, “U.S.” spells “us.” Ever thought of that? 

Yes, I did know how to spell "us." But, what really scares me is the thought that you are the future of the country. Fortunately, I'm old enough so that I'm hoping to be dead long before they're crowning President Stefanik or worse yet, Funiciello. 

Have you ever heard of a Democratic Republican? Thomas Jefferson got it right! That is a law I want you to pass.

Apparently, your mommy and daddy have been filling your little head with that Obama as dictator tripe. Read the Constitution, Sweetie. Or let Uncle Kevin help. 

Lazy Letter Day

Wanted to put this letter up a while back and forgot about it.

“The Donald.” Whether you love or hate him, disagree or agree with him, you really should be asking one very important question about his latest statements including Mexican illegals. Do we still have freedom of speech in this country? Trump should be able to say what he wants without companies and the general public being able to hold him “hostage.” I believe he does have freedom of speech. If you disagree with him? Then that is your right! Change the channel on your TV or your vote.

Seriously, I am wondering if we have lost that freedom too. We have been racing closer to a communistic government ever since the current resident of the White House has been in office. Never before has our nation been led by a dictator. But the last six years have been as close as I ever want to get! This “politically correct” bull is just that and has gotten out of hand, right along with “affirmative action.” I agree that people of any color have every right to equality. But you should not be given special privileges just because of the color of your skin. Nor should people of any race be “rewarded” for breaking the law by being given a free pass to citizenship! What does that say to all the people who worked very hard for many years to gain their citizenship legally?

Another bit of information for you young voters who voted just to be a part of history. Be very careful in the coming election what kind of history you want to create. How many freedoms are you willing to give up? What else do you want “imposed” on you? How is the “Affordable Care Act” going for ya? Stop following “the crowd.” Stand up for your own ideals!

JUDY THOMAS

I thought about writing a letter to agree with her and to urge my 100% support for anyone supporting The Donald. Fortunately I saved my letter for a response to Don Coyote.

 I realize I’m responding to a cartoon coyote here and that should concern me. Anyway, that hostage-taking in 1979 had a backstory. It was blowback. In 1953, the U.S. and Britain overthrew an elected leader in Iran to protect western oil interests. What followed was 26 years of life under a brutal dictator whose thugs (SAVAK) were armed and trained by the CIA. When he was toppled in 1979, to add insult to injury, we gave him asylum. A fair trial followed by hanging, as we encouraged Iraq to do with Saddam Hussein, would have been a better alternative, probably.

Speaking of Hussein, we provided him with intel during the 1980s to better direct the chemical weapons he was lobbing into Iran. So, it’s probably best that we not get into “who killed who first” with them.

The Israelis also seem to have short memories. How soon they forget Cyrus freeing their people from Babylon so they could return to Judah.

You only get two letters a month and I would rather use mine to respond to mindless jingoism.

Freedom of Speech for Imams

Not in Saudi Arabia, of course. Interesting article that shows that even Muslim imams are against war and such. After I had been assured by so many right-wingers that it was the religion of the sword or some such. These guys might get on well with Pope Frank.

Boasting millions of followers across the world, a generation of Saudi clerics and Islamic scholars are reaching beyond government-controlled mosques and satellite television stations to criticize Riyadh and its autocratic Arab allies, using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to stoke dissent.

Now amid growing online criticism of Riyadh’s war in Yemen and poor government services at home, Saudi authorities are censoring the clerics, triggering a showdown that has been brewing since the early days of the Arab Spring.

If you've lost the clerics, can Democracy be far behind?

But the crackdown does not begin or end with Yemen. Wary of clerics’ growing social media followings, Riyadh has warned imams against criticizing the government’s policies at home or its allies abroad.

Unfortunately, if it is you might end up like Egypt. 

Morsi and more than 100 others were sentenced to death last month over a mass prison break in 2011 that occurred during protests against ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

I'm pretty sure the grand mufti is not going to listen to me, but let's try not executing Morsi. 

“These highly politicized trials that contravene all standards of justice, the judiciary is doing its part to cement a new political reality in Egypt, one that seeks to silence all dissent and restore the full strength of the authoritarian system that was in place for decades,” he said.

Yeah, that's at least part of the reason. 

The Reason I Get My News From The Daily Show

The shocker is that 39% of what's reported as factual on Fox News has any degree of truth in it at all.

At Fox and Fox News, 10 percent of the claims we’ve rated have been True, 11 percent Mostly True, 18 percent Half True, 21 percent Mostly False, 31 percent False and nine percent Pants on Fire.

That means about 60 percent of the claims we’ve checked have been rated Mostly False or worse. Here’s how it breaks down (as of Jan. 27, 2015)

I don't watch TV, news or otherwise, so it doesn't bother me too much that CNN and MSNBC also reported a lot that is incorrect. The Christian Science Monitor, Salon and Daily Show will lead you to the truth brothers and sisters.

Since this is a short and insubstantial post, have some San Cisco.

Elise Stefanik: This Is Your Base!

Well first, I didn't realize we were considering an East Coast Missile Shield Defense System. Really? Defense system? Shield is definitely cooler and, at the same time, more macho. Ken Tingley and I seem to share the question: why the fuck do we need a ECMDS?

But, what this post is really about is the continuing devolving of the Republican Party. Here is ADKer Don:

A missile defense is necessary as long as we have a coward in the white house! Until we have a president with intelligence and a strong foreign policy that protects America, including bombing Iran, North Korea,and others back into the stone age, we must have a strong defense of our country. All nuclear facilities of Iran, North Korea, and others must be totally destroyed for American to be safe. Obama's cowardliness and incompetence has left America open to being destroyed. Congratulations to Elise and the others who recognize and stand up to this and other treats to America.

Now first, I grew up in the heart of the Adirondacks in  bucolic and totally lacking in employment Crown Point. I was surrounded by hearty mountain folk and carry their same blood in genes despite now living amongst  flat-landers. I don't feel the need to go around advertising myself as an ADKer, though. So, I'm thinking this guy came from Jersey or New Yawk city or some such. 

Secondly, and more to the point of the post, this is the beating heart of the Republican Party. This guy needs to have a president who will commit genocide Iran, North Korea and other countries (plural) to be named later. Yes, turn half the world into a parking lot just so ADKer Don will feel safe. 

Elise Stefanik, does it make you feel good that your base is made up of such brave souls. As I pointed out at the comment section, these are the same people who six months ago were hollering that we needed to cancel all flights from Africa or we were all gonna die from Ebola. And the fuckin' Right -wing in this country see themselves as being descended from our founding fathers? I've said before and will continue to: if these guys were around back then, they would have all been on the side of King George.

UPDATE: This article on the Ebola Chicken Littles of the Right just appeared at Salon and I would be remiss not to include a link to it.