A lot has happened since my last blog
The presidential debate was described perfectly by David Smith of The Guardian. “This was an unwatchable debate between an old man who could not finish a sentence and an old man who could not tell the truth. It was Rip Van Winkle versus Pinocchio.”
SCOTUS set the country back a few generations as they decided the courts were best suited to make decisions about highway safety, food and drug safety, the environment, and most everything else not covered by a specific law. By overturning a ruling that has been in place for nearly half a century, SCOTUS clearly sees no need for experts in the field to make the decisions and establish rules and regulations.
It makes me feel safe that the next life changing drug will be approved by Justices Scalia and Thomas rather than scientists that have spent their life doing research and studying such drugs.
It is clear to me that Scalia, Thomas and the other conservative justices do not understand the value of the government’s administrative functions. They did not grew up in the downriver Detroit area in the 50s and 60s, where snow turned orange after three days; cars had a metallic finish if not washed two or three times a week; the Rouge River was a fire hazard and ducks were known to land on the river but none were ever seen flying off the river because of the oil on the surface: the area around Schafer Road from Jefferson Blvd to I94 had the highest density of childhood asthma than anywhere else in the country; and, Lake Erie was on Hospice Care. These conditions no longer exist because of the administrative rules and regulations which have been implemented by various government agencies.
And finally, SCOTUS decided that the president was above the law, providing they were performing the duties of the job of the president. For 44 out of 46 presidents, this was never an issue. For Nixon it might have become an issue, but Gerald Ford saved Nixon from prosecution by granting Nixon a pardon as part of Nixon’s resignation deal.
For 45, the ruling by SCOTUS is basically a “get out of jail for free card”. As long as 45 has the funds to appeal current and future criminal cases all the way to SCOTUS, he will remain a free man, whether he is elected in November of not. Any ruling by a lower court will be appealed to the Supreme Court where 45’s buddies on the court will rule in his favor.
Initially, I felt the criminal cases that are in state courts, such as the 34 counts he was found guilty of in New York, would be immune from this ruling. However, I am sure his buddies on SCOTUS will go out of their way to make federal cases out of the state criminal prosecutions.
The lesson in all of this is that elections matter. Regardless of what happens in the 2024 election, the country will be feeling the impact of the 2016 election for many years to come.
RINOs and Reagan Republicans are Welcome
After Biden’s poor debate performance, I was discouraged for nearly a week, but then I came to realize that there is hope that 45 may not win the election if the Biden campaign can appeal to RINOs and Reagan Republicans.
It came to me when I was watching the Fourth of July Parade in Petoskey. In the parade, there was a Republican Party float where nearly all the local Republican candidates participated. However, one Republican candidate, state representative Neil Friske, had his own float separate from the Republican Party float. Friske, who has his own legal problems because of an incident which occurred around 2 AM with an alleged “stripper” in Lansing, is a MAGA/Kamikaze member who first made a name for himself by defying Governor Whitmer’s shut down orders at the start of COVID-19 with his business, Friske’s Orchards. As part of Friske’s float, there was a sign indicating “RINO’s are not Welcome”, something that 45 has repeated many times over the years.
It is clear to me that the way forward to defeating 45 is through the RINOs and Reagan Republicans. They may not be welcome in the MAGA/Kamikaze Party, but their votes will be more than welcome by those of us who will be voting against 45 and for Biden because of our concern about the future of our democracy.
There are many RINOs and Reagan Republicans who shutter at the thought of second term for 45. If the Biden campaign can convince them to vote against 45 and for Biden, the path to victory is there for the taking.
This is really important. It is great that the House is looking out for us.
Per Heather Cox Richardson. Republicans in the House today passed the Refrigerator Freedom Act and the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards (SUDS) Act, prohibiting the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers.
After noting that the average monthly cost of operating a dishwasher is two to four dollars and establishing that the people pushing this measure had no idea how much a dishwasher costs, Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) said: “This bill… Congress at its worst. A bunch of people who haven’t unloaded a dishwasher ever telling the American people what dishwashers they should or should not have.” This is my Quote of the Day.
This is insane.
Since being drafted in the 2021 as a freshman out of Oklahoma State, Cade Cunningham, 22, has been the centerpiece of the Detroit Piston’s rebuilding effort. During that time, the Piston have had a three-year record of 54 wins and 192 loses. A winning percentage of 22%. In 2024 the Pistons set a record for futility with a franchise worse record of 14 and 68. In addition, two head coaches have been fired during the same three years. Starting in the 24-25 season, Cade will be playing for his third head coach.
Today, the Detroit Pistons have solidified Cade Cunningham as the foundational building block of the franchise’s future. The Pistons and Cunningham agreed on a rookie max contract extension for five years and $224 million, a league source confirmed Tuesday to The Detroit News.
The total dollar amount is equivalent to 25% of the overall salary cap, and that could swell to nearly $270 million (30% of the cap) if Cunningham achieves an All-NBA selection next season.
This leads to my Questions of the Day: How does one get rewarded so much when the team they were charged with leading to victory has been such a dismal failure? Whatever happened to rewarding based on performance?
Project 2025
Much has been written and said about Project 2025 in the last month. Project 2025 is a 922-page document that provides a roadmap for implementing the Heritage Foundation’s vision for the next conservative president.
45’s campaign has endorsed the document, even though 45 is now denying he knows anything about it, yet he says there are many things in the document that he does not support. Fabricating the truth comes so naturally to 45.
Joyce Vance has dedicated her blog to educate her readers to the concerns of the plan and the threat it poses to our country.
Rather than letting others inform me, I am working my way through the document one page at a time. I hope to have completed my reading of it by Labor Day, after which I will share my thoughts.
In the meantime. Here is a copy of the document for your reading and studying.
2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf (project2025.org)
Kevin Roberts scares me
Kevin Roberts has been the president of the Heritage Foundation since 2021. In a July 3 interview on Steve Bannon’s War Room Kevin Roberts said the following.
“We are in the process of an American revolution. It will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Based on what happened on January 6, 2021, I have every reason to believe that Roberts is setting the stage for another insurrection if 45 is not elected in November.
Here is the link to the video in which he made this comment. You decide for yourself what you think he means. It is my Video of the Day.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1808507354310209711
Feel free to share my blog with others. To receive the blog in your email, please use the sign-up button which is located at the bottom of the blog below the Video of the Day.
Quote of the Day: See above story.
Orchid of the Day: My sister Nancy as she advocates for the care of her husband Zane while he is recovering at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. I am so proud of you.
Onion of the Day: Johns Hopkins University Hospital. The lack of communication between the physician staff and my sister as she advocates for my brother-in-law Zane’s care is appalling to me. Fortunately, my sister will not be denied and she will not take no or I don’t know or I will get back to you as acceptable answers.
Question of the Day: See above story.
Video of the Day: Kevin Roberts’ interview on the War Room
Biggsie, you covered a lot of territory in this one. GOOD JOB! Boz