A report card on the Biden administration

[Sandy Shanks]

The best news correspondent in the business is leaving Fox and joining CNN. He has had it with conspiratorial Fox network, a network that omits important news. News Trump doesn't like.

CBS News reports, "Longtime Fox News anchor Chris Wallace announced Sunday that he is leaving his Sunday news show, and CNN quickly announced he would be joining their new streaming service.

"In 2016, Wallace was the first Fox News host to moderate a general election presidential debate. He highlighted covering five presidential elections, and had interviewed every president since George H.W. Bush. But, he said Sunday, "I want to try something new to go beyond politics to all the things I'm interested in" and said he is "ready for a new adventure."

"It is not often that a news organization gets the opportunity to bring someone of Chris Wallace's caliber on board. He is as fine a journalist as there is in our business," said Jeff Zucker, CNN's president.

CBS continued, "The loss of Wallace comes just weeks after an NPR report that Wallace and political anchor Bret Baier objected to a three-part series from Tucker Carlson called "Patriot Purge" about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Two high-profile contributors, Stephen Hayes and Jonah Goldberg, resigned in protest over the series, which Goldberg called "propaganda that weaves half-truths into a whole lie."

"The reality is the Fox that Wallace is leaving is quite different than the network he joined 18 years ago. Back then, the network had a conservative tilt. But in recent years, it has transformed into a hyper-partisan right-wing talk channel that is comfortable pushing dark conspiracy theories to its viewers all day and night," Clive Irving wrote for The Daily Beast on Sunday.

The article by Irving on Sunday is entitled "Fox News Is Fully Tucker TV Now."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

In the case of Texas' radical anti-abortion ban which virtually eliminated abortions in Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court, by virtue of their green light to the law, allowed state law to supersede the high court's decisions regarding abortion, the decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

However, it's just possible the Court opened a can of worms with a number of unintended consequences.

MSNBC reports, "When Texas' radical anti-abortion ban took effect with a green light from the U.S. Supreme Court, one of the many concerns raised by reproductive rights advocates was that copycats would soon follow. After all, if conservative justices were willing to allow S.B. 8 to be implemented, there was nothing to stop Republicans elsewhere from simply adopting the same model.

"Those fears were well justified: GOP legislators in Alabama last week unveiled a Texas-style abortion ban, a day after Republicans in Arkansas did the same thing. In all, four states are weighing proposals to adopt the bounty system currently in place in Texas."

It only gets worse for a Court that allowed state supremacy over the federal government, itself a violation of the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution, Article VI, Paragraph 2.

What if Democrats tried a similar idea in pursuit of progressive goals?

It's already being done.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he plans to use the same tactic as Texas' abortion law to target assault rifle sales after the Supreme Court declined to block enforcement of the law.

"If states can shield their laws from review by federal courts, then [California] will use that authority to help protect lives," the Democratic governor said online.

He added, "If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that."

That may only be the start. The Supreme Court made a horrible decision by upholding a state law that contravened the Court's decisions. The Supremes must be asking themselves. "Now what do we do?"

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Donald Trump says the election was stolen from him. This became the basis for the Jan. 6 insurrection and his attempt to overthrow the elected government. Regarding the current assault on our government, please recall Vladimir Putin, the communist dictator of Russia, wanted Trump elected President in the 2016 election.

“January 6th was without precedent. There has been no stronger case in our nation’s history for a congressional investigation into the actions of a former president. This body must investigate the facts in detail, and we are entitled to ask Mr. Meadows about the non-privileged materials he has produced to us.”

That is a statement made by Liz Cheney, a Republican and a member of the Jan. 6 Select Committee investigating the insurrection on January 6th, an attempt by the defeated Republican President to overthrow the elected government.

"Indeed, according to the records, multiple Fox News hosts [and Donald Trump's son] knew the president needed to act immediately" on Jan. 6, Cheney said.

NBC News reports, "Three Fox News hosts and Donald Trump Jr. texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows during the Jan. 6 riot urging him to press then-President Donald Trump to call off his mob of supporters clashing with police at the Capitol."

"Mark [Meadows], the president needs to tell the people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy," Laura Ingraham texted.

"Please get him on TV. Destroying everything you have accomplished," Brian Kilmeade wrote.

"Can he make a statement asking people to leave the Capitol?" Sean Hannity asked in a text.

“We need an oval office address. He has to lead now. It has gone too far. And gotten out of hand,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a text.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Here's hoping Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, plays a huge role in the 2022 mid-term elections. Here's why.

Frida Ghitis writes, "How much damage can one man do to his own political party? For a test case, let's look at Georgia. This state seemed reliably Republican until 2020, when then-President Donald Trump not only lost his bid for re-election but also helped both incumbent Republican senators lose their elections, which in turn cost his party control of the US Senate.

"Now Trump is doing it again. And you almost feel sorry for the Georgia GOP.

"According to the Washington Post, Trump successfully pressured one of the GOP senators defeated in 2020, David Perdue, to challenge an incumbent fellow Republican, Gov. Brian Kemp, for the nomination in next year's election. No Republican governor has ever lost reelection since Georgia began allowing governors to run for consecutive terms.

"Trump is doing a huge favor for Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who Kemp beat by a razor-thin margin in 2018. Between now and the primary in May, Democrats will make their case to voters, while Republicans will likely spend millions attacking one another.

"If you're wondering why Trump would do that, the answer is easy: He's angry at Kemp for refusing to support Trump's corrosive claim that the 2020 election was stolen, and for certifying the Georgia election results.

"On most issues, Perdue and Kemp are almost identical. But Trump's personal vendetta is apparently enough to justify threatening the party's hold on the governor's mansion anyway."

The GOP remains shackled by the educationally challenged grassroots Republicans in the rural counties of America. The faithful in Trump's cult are dictating matters to the GOP.

 

[toobfreak]

Here's hoping Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, plays a huge role in the 2022 mid-term elections.

Bet you will rue the day you said that a year from now!

The GOP remains shackled by the educationally challenged grassroots Republicans in the rural counties of America.

It doesn't take a college degree to know Joe Biddum and his skank Kammy are pure dirt. Any 6 year old can see that.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“January 6th was without precedent. There has been no stronger case in our nation’s history for a congressional investigation into the actions of a former president. This body must investigate the facts in detail, and we are entitled to ask Mr. Meadows about the non-privileged materials he has produced to us.”

That statement was made by Liz Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice-president Dick Cheney who served under George W. Bush.

The forum's Republicans remain silent about all this.

The Guardian reports, "The US House of Representatives has approved a measure recommending criminal contempt charges against Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff to Donald Trump, a week after he ended his cooperation with the chamber’s committee investigating the Capitol insurrection.

"The approval marks the first time the House has voted to hold a former member in contempt since the 1830s, according to the chamber’s records.

"It is the latest show of force by the 6 January panel, which is leaving no angle unexplored as it investigates the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years.

"Meadows, a former North Carolina congressman, left in March 2020 to join Trump’s administration. Before he left Congress, Meadows continually insisted that people and high-ranking government officials respect the authority of Congress to do its job, and investigative powers are implicit in and intertwined with our powers to legislate this."

The American government is in turmoil. Republicans vs. Democrats. Republicans vs. Republicans. Former Republican President Trump vs, Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell.

Vladimir Putin is enormously proud of his protégé, Donald Trump.

No doubt Republicans will remain silent. Polls suggest they expect to win control of Congress in the 2022 mid-terms.

I don't get that.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

In the case of Texas' radical anti-abortion ban which virtually eliminated abortions in Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court, by virtue of their green light to the law, allowed state law to supersede the high court's decisions regarding abortion, the decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

CNN reports, "Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called for the US Supreme Court to be expanded with more justices and said that the current court "threatens the democratic foundations of our nation."

"With each move, the court shows why it's important to restore America's faith in an independent judiciary committed to the rule of law," Warren wrote in an opinion article published by The Boston Globe. "To do that, I believe it's time for Congress to yet again use its constitutional authority to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court."

CNN added, "Her call to expand the high court made up of nine justices comes less than a week after it left in place a Texas abortion law that bars the procedure after the first six weeks of pregnancy and after public approval of the Supreme Court has dropped in recent months. The Supreme Court said that abortion providers have the right to challenge the law in federal court and that the case will return to a district court for further proceedings.

"A commission set up by President Joe Biden to explore changes to the Supreme Court concluded in a draft final report earlier this month there was "profound" disagreement over whether to add more seats but suggested more consensus for term limits for the justices without taking a final position on the issue."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“January 6th was without precedent. There has been no stronger case in our nation’s history for a congressional investigation into the actions of a former president. This body must investigate the facts in detail, and we are entitled to ask Mr. Meadows about the non-privileged materials he has produced to us.”

The American government is in turmoil. Republicans vs. Democrats. Republicans vs. Republicans. Former Republican President Trump vs, Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell. Vladimir Putin is enormously proud of his protégé, Donald Trump.

No doubt Republicans will remain silent. Polls suggest they expect to win control of Congress in the 2022 mid-terms.

Americans are facing two incompatible situations. Republicans, led by the Republican President at the time, attempted to overthrow the elected government.

At the same time Republicans are expected to gain control of the House and Senate in the November mid-terms.

In the meantime, Republicans at the grassroots level remain totally silent about the activities of their party. As for Trump, grassroots Republicans remain completely loyal almost in a cultish kind of way, but they are silent about Trump as well.

There is an explanation for this. Bear in mind, the Republican Party gets the bulk of its support from the rural counties of America.

To explain the seeming conundrum, there are two possibilities. The education challenged farmers and rural shopkeepers do not know what is happening, and they do not want to know. They are simply too busy eking out a living. All they know is they believe Trump and support whatever he wants to do. One other thing, they hate liberals. They see no difference between a liberal and a communist.

Not all rural inhabitants fit the explanation above. Some have a complete education and know what is going on. The remain quiet because they simply don't care. They listen to Fox and other right wing outlets and are in denial. There was no insurrection. The insurrection is a communist plot.

So, as things turn out, the Republican Party will win control of Congress in November.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Americans are facing two incompatible situations. Republicans, led by the Republican President at the time, attempted to overthrow the elected government.

At the same time Republicans are expected to gain control of the House and Senate in the November mid-terms.

The ignorance of grassroots Republicans can easily become a serious threat to our country.

If the Republican Party gains a majority in the House, it is quite likely that a Republican lawmaker who played a role in the attempt to overthrow the elected government in January will become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Chris Cillizza explains.

"If Republicans win the House majority next November -- and they are currently favored to do so -- then Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will almost certainly rise to one of the most prominent positions in the chamber: Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

"Which makes his role in fomenting a potential coup on January 6 more than a little troubling.

"We now know that Jordan forwarded to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows a message (sent from a former Department of Defense inspector general) that laid out theoretical Constitutional backing for then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election the following day.

"On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all," read the text that Jordan has confirmed he forwarded to Meadows."

That should trouble us all

Cillizza added, "It's no secret that Jordan has helped push former President Donald Trump's false narrative that the 2020 election was somehow stolen."

"I don't know how you can ever convince me that President Trump didn't actually win this thing based on all the things you see," Jordan said in an interview on Fox News in December 2020.

No one has any idea what Jordan was talking about. But that is what Trump and his cohorts do. They say something really provocative, but they don't base it on anything.

If ignorance becomes the basis of Republican influence, then it becomes likely that an insurrectionist becomes the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

And we, American voters, allowed that to happen.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The ignorance of grassroots Republicans can easily become a serious threat to our country.

The Post reports, "Former president Donald Trump claimed in a new episode of a podcast that Jewish people in the United States “don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel” and that the New York Times “hates Israel.”

"Trump’s comments to journalist Barak Ravid are included in an episode of the podcast “Unholy: Two Jews on the news” that debuted late Thursday."

“People in this country that are Jewish no longer love Israel,” Trump said in the interview, adding, “I’ll tell you the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country.”

“It used to be that Israel had absolute power over Congress, and today I think it’s the exact opposite, and I think Obama and Biden did that,” Trump said. “And yet in the election, they still get a lot of votes from Jewish people, which tells you that the Jewish people, and I’ve said this for a long time, the Jewish people in the United States either don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel."

The stupidity of this statement is self-evident, and I am not going to waste my time proving it. Also, the stupidity of the man who made these comments is self-evident. He is the leader of the Republican Party.

But he is not speaking to the average American. He is speaking to the education deprived rural inhabitants of our country, his base. He knows they will believe what he said, and that is a sad commentary on our country.

The man who said that is thinking seriously of running for President in 2024, and the Republican Party will allow that to happen.

Oh, and this same man led an effort to overthrow the elected government. Trump's rural base doesn't care.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Members of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol believe that a former Republican Texas Governor, a former member of the President's cabinet, encouraged Republican chief of staff to the President Mark Meadows to carry out a coup.

According to CNN, "Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry was the author of a text message sent to then-White House chief of staff Meadows the day after the 2020 election pushing an "AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY" for three state legislatures to ignore the will of their voters and deliver their states' electors to Donald Trump.

"A spokesman for Perry told CNN that the former Energy Secretary denies being the author of the text. Multiple people who know Rick Perry confirmed to CNN that the phone number the committee has associated with that text message is Perry's number. The cell phone number the text was sent from appears in databases as being registered to a James Richard Perry of Texas, the former governor's full name.

"The number is also associated in a second database as registered to a Department of Energy email address associated with Perry when he was secretary.

"When told of these facts, the spokesman had no explanation."

"The text was first presented publicly on the House floor Tuesday night by Rep. Jamie Raskin and reads: "HERE's an AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY: Why can t (sic) the states of GA NC PENN and other R controlled state houses declare this is BS (where conflicts and election not called that night) and just send their own electors to vote and have it go to the SCOTUS."

On July 22, 2015, Rick Perry defined Trumpism. He blasted Donald Trump and “Trumpism” as an ideology that poses an existential threat to not just the Republican Party, but the broader conservative movement.

The former Texas governor said Trumpism was no more than “a barking carnival act” and “a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense”.

“I will not go quiet when this cancer on conservatism threatens to metastasize into a movement of mean-spirited politics that will send the Republican Party to the same place it sent the Whig Party in 1854: the graveyard,” said Perry.

Did Perry get that right or what.

Rick Perry blasts 'Trumpism' | CNN Politics

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday went further than any other Republican candidate in blasting Donald Trump during a speech in Washington

www.cnn.com

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Post reports, "When it became clear in January that President Biden would be governing with a 50-50 Senate, where any one lawmaker had the power to sink any given measure, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) became a central player in Washington policymaking.

"Manchin had always shown a knack for putting himself in the middle of the action during his decade serving on Capitol Hill — often by playing contrarian in an increasingly liberal caucus. But he has also shown a constant willingness to talk and hash out a deal, which led Democrats to believe that, in the end, Manchin would be on their side."

Fittingly, Manchin made an erstwhile attempt to destroy President Biden's social agenda on Fox News, or, as some call it, the Trump Network. True, if not in name, but in deed.

The Post continued, "That assumption was blown to smithereens Sunday morning, when Manchin went on “Fox News Sunday” and declared that he was no longer interested in continuing negotiations on Build Back Better, the Biden-backed domestic policy megabill that includes everything from cash benefits for parents to health-care subsidies to early-childhood education to climate provisions plus much more."

Manchin also blew away the dreams economists had of a growing economy.

CNN Business reports, "Senator Joe Manchin's opposition to the Build Back Better Act prompted Goldman Sachs to swiftly dim its US economic outlook.

"The Wall Street firm told clients Sunday it no longer assumes President Joe Biden's signature legislation will get through the narrowly divided Congress, citing the West Virginia Democrat's announcement that he's a "no" on the $1.75 trillion bill."

"A failure to pass BBB has negative growth implications," Goldman Sachs economists, led by Jan Hatzius, said in the research report.

"The prospects for the US economy dimmed after Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin said he would oppose the Biden administration's $1.75 trillion "Build Back Better" bill. The Dow fell more than 430 points, or 1.2%, on Monday. The S&P 500 was down 1.1% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 1.2%."

The ramifications of Manchin's decision could be far reaching.

He didn't assign responsibility to himself for his decision. He blamed the White House.

The Times reports, "In a 14-minute interview with a local West Virginia radio station, Mr. Manchin directly faulted White House staff and top Democrats for what Mr. Manchin described as a misplaced assumption that he could be pressured into accepting such a large package. He said that over six months of negotiations, they failed to adequately respond to his concerns."

All this could be a disaster for the already besieged Biden administration.

Or, it could be the ultimate negotiating tactic.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Fittingly, Manchin made an erstwhile attempt to destroy President Biden's social agenda on Fox News.

Business Insider reports, "Senate Major ty Leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats would move ahead with a vote on President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill despite objections from Sen. Joe Manchin that effectively end its prospects of passing.

"Schumer, a New York Democrat, in a letter to colleagues release Monday, said that senators would vote on a revised version on President Joe Biden's signature $1.6 trillion social and climate change bill early in the new year."

"Senators should be aware that the Senate will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act, very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not on television," Schumer wrote.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

A senior Fox News host threatened the life of the President's chief medical advisor.

Jesse Watters had urged his listeners to “go in for the kill shot” and “ambush” Anthony Fauci if they see him in public. He used violent rhetoric to encourage them to confront Fauci with conspiracy theories over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, referring to the unproven claim among conservatives that the virus was “engineered” by a lab Fauci funded.

“The kill shot, with an ambush—deadly, ’cause he doesn’t see it coming. This is when you say, ‘Dr. Fauci, you funded risky research at a sloppy Chinese lab, the same lab that sprung this pandemic on the world. You know why people don’t trust you, don’t you?’ Boom, he is dead! He is dead! He’s done!” Watters shouted at the crowd.

A Fox News spokesperson defended Watters’ remarks by claiming the Fox correspondent was using metaphor. "Based on watching the full clip and reading the entire transcript, it’s more than clear that Jesse Watters was using a metaphor for asking hard-hitting questions to Dr. Fauci."

 

[Sandy Shanks]

A number of Trump's former associates are virtually admitting they committed a crime by pleading the Fifth Amendment when questioned about the coup attempt. Others refuse to explain their involvement in the attempt to overthrow the elected government when asked to volunteer their testimony to the Jan. 6 Select Committee.

The latter is the case with Republican congressman Scott Perry.

NBC News reports, "Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said Tuesday that he won't cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, which on Monday requested information about his knowledge of the events surrounding the attack."

"I stand with immense respect for our Constitution, the Rule of Law, and the Americans I represent who know that this entity is illegitimate, and not duly constituted under the rules of the US House of Representatives," said Perry.

"Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said in a letter to Perry on Monday that the bipartisan panel has evidence connecting him to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thompson said Perry was involved in efforts to make former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark the acting attorney general during the final months of the Trump administration," NBC reported.

In the meantime, Michael Flynn, the embattled, short-lived former national security adviser to then-President Donald Trump, is suing to block a US House subpoena for his phone records.

His lawsuit marks the eighth court challenge against the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and to gather evidence on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

There is only one conclusion one can draw from all of this. Trump and his former associates are acting very guilty. If they were innocent of all charges, wouldn't they to want to explain their innocence?

But they don't want to talk to the committee. The inference is clear.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

A number of Trump's former associates are virtually admitting they committed a crime by pleading the Fifth Amendment when questioned about the coup attempt. Others refuse to explain their involvement in the attempt to overthrow the elected government when asked to volunteer their testimony to the Jan. 6 Select Committee.

The latter is the case with Republican congressman Scott Perry.

“If they call me, one thing I know is that I’ve got nothing to hide,” Jim Jordan said on August 13, 2021.

The Guardian reports, "The House committee investigating the events around the 6 January attack on the US Capitol has asked the congressman and close Trump ally Jim Jordan to make an appearance before the panel.

"Jordan is a conservative Republican from Ohio who is seen as a close confidant of the former US president.

“We write to seek your voluntary co-operation in advancing our investigation,” the committee said in a letter to Jordan, asking for an appearance early in January.

"The letter revealed that the panel was seeking to ask Jordan about the role Trump might have played as the attack unfolded. The mob of pro-Trump supporters had stormed the Capitol in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election."

“We understand that you had at least one and possibly multiple communications with President Trump on January 6th. We would like to discuss each such communication with you in detail,” it said.

The Guardian continued, "Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, has been identified as the Republican lawmaker who sent a message to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows the day before the Capitol attack outlining a plan to stop Biden from reaching the White House.

"A portion of the message was revealed by the Democratic committee member and congressman Adam Schiff. It read: “On January 6, 2021, Vice-President Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all.”

"The message was sent to Jordan by Joseph Schmitz, a former US defense department inspector general, who outlined a “draft proposal” to pressure the then vice-president, Mike Pence, to refuse to certify audited election returns on 6 January."

 

[sartre play]

Its a hell of a mess we have created putting party over country.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Americans are giving President Biden low marks on the economy. The mystery is why.

The Post reports, "Presidents have some control over fiscal policy, but markets, the Federal Reserve and, yes, the state of the pandemic have a lot more say on how the economy is performing. Nevertheless, if President Biden can be bashed for bad economic news during his presidency (e.g., inflation), then he also should get some credit for successes. And right now, there is plenty for him to crow about."

The Wall Street Journal reports: “A booming U.S. economy is rippling around the world, leaving global supply chains struggling to keep up and pushing up prices. The force of the American expansion is also inducing overseas companies to invest in the U.S., betting that the growth is still accelerating and will outpace other major economies.”

Bloomberg offers this. "U.S. financial markets are outperforming the world by the biggest margin in the 21st century, and with good reason: America’s economy improved more in Joe Biden's first 12 months than any president during the past 50 years notwithstanding the contrary media narrative contributing to dour public opinion.

Gross domestic product (1)
Profit growth (1)
S&P 500 performance (2)
Consumer credit (1)
Non-farm payrolls (2)
Manufacturing jobs (2)
Business productivity (2)
Dollar appreciation (2)
S&P 500 relative performance (2)

All of which makes Biden's first year in the White House the standout among the seven previous presidents, based on 10 market and economic indicators given equal weight. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, no one comes close to matching Biden's combination of No. 1 and No. 2 rankings for each of the measures.

All of this contrasts sharply with how Americans view our President's performance, which just goes to prove Americans know little about economic factors and even how the economy is really doing. Three prominent purveyors of economic factors provided the correct portrait of our economy.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Donald Trump has lost every single court case involving election fraud and the January sixth insurrection. That doesn't stop him from trying again.

CNN reports, "Former President Donald Trump appealed to the Supreme Court on Thursday to block the release of documents from his White House to the House committee investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol, escalating his effort to keep about 700 pages of records secret.

"The committee, which is charged with investigating the US Capitol attack to provide recommendations for preventing such assaults in the future, seeks the documents as it explores Trump's role in trying to overturn the election. That includes his appearance at a January 6 rally when he directed followers to go to the Capitol where lawmakers were set to certify the election results and "fight" for their county. The documents are currently held by the National Archives.

"Previously, both a district court judge and the DC US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump's arguments in decisions that backed the legitimacy of the document requests and the investigation more broadly."

"Former President Trump has given this court no legal reason to cast aside President Biden's assessment of the Executive Branch interests at stake, or to create a separation of powers conflict that the Political Branches have avoided," the DC Circuit said in its opinion

"Hours after Trump's request was filed, the House committee asked the justices to expedite their consideration of the request, with a proposed schedule that would allow the court to say by the middle of next month whether it was taking up the case," CNN added.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

"Former President Trump has given this court no legal reason to cast aside President Biden's assessment of the Executive Branch interests at stake, or to create a separation of powers conflict that the Political Branches have avoided."

It is anyone's guess as to what this conservative court will do, especially considering the fact that three of the justices were appointed by Trump.

This court has already violated the Constitution!

In the case of Texas' radical anti-abortion ban which virtually eliminated abortions in Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court, by virtue of their green light to the law, allowed state law to supersede the high court's decisions regarding abortion. The decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey stated that decisions involving a woman's health were between the woman and her doctor and no one else, meaning state or local government.

The Texas law makes Roe vs. Wade irrelevant in Texas, and this is a clear violation of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which, prohibits states from interfering with the federal government's exercise of its constitutional powers, and from assuming any functions that are exclusively entrusted to the federal government.

So, if this court sees fit to violate our Constitution, it is not a stretch for it to permit a former President's decision to take precedence over the current President's decision while everyone else in the country has the firm belief that we have one President at a time.

Hopefully the court considers the extraordinary circumstances of Trump's case. As President, Trump led an attempt to overthrow the elected government. Far right extremists loyal to Trump interfered with the business of government on Jan. 6, ransacked the capitol, 140 police were wounded, five died, and 727 people have been charged.

If the court overlooks all this and rules in favor of Trump, calling it a disgrace would be an understatement. Violation of all that is holy in our government would be more appropriate.