Happy New Fiscal Year!

For the Federal Government it is the beginning of the new fiscal year AND another government shutdown was narrowly avoided. 

So it is a Happy New Year!

Well, for at least 45 days until the continuing resolution (CR) expires. 

I remember the government shutdown and furlough planning that I was involved in while I was a government employee. I always felt that it was unnecessarily wasteful and demonstrated that the congress had failed to accomplish one of their most basic constitutional duties: to fund the government. 

I was happy to see the bipartisan support for the resolution both in the House and Senate. 

I was disturbed by the stripping out of Ukraine funding to attempt to appease the MAGA Republicans. It is clear that the Republican Party is no longer the Party of Reagan. A vote against Ukraine funding is a vote for Russian aggression and for Putin. It is that simple.

I have written my Representative, Brian Mast, who voted against the CR and does not approve Ukraine funding to express my displeasure on both issues.

The issue of funding for Ukraine is not a small one. Former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) noted that it was on September 30, 1938, that British prime minister Neville Chamberlain announced he would not stand in the way of Adolf Hitler’s annexation of the Sudentenland, a key move in Hitler’s rise. “Members of the House and Senate who are voting to deny Ukraine assistance on the 85th anniversary of Neville Chamberlain’s 1938 “peace in our time” speech should read some history,” she wrote. “Appeasement didn’t work then. It won’t work now.” (Letters from an American)

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Embarrassed by the House

 Embarrassed, that was how I felt about the reception that the President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, received from the House of Representatives yesterday. 

It is in my mind a very simple and, believe it or not, binary choice. Support Ukraine defending itself against unprovoked Russian aggression, or support Russia in its territorial expansion. There is no middle ground. 

That House Republicans seem to be supporting Putin shows how far off the rails the party has gone. I was, however, encouraged by the bipartisan support that Zelensky received in the Senate.

The budget battle demonstrated the disjointed, chaotic, and harmful forces at play in the Republican caucus. 

As part of their demands, House extremists want to cut funding for Ukraine’s defense. This would, of course, work to strengthen Russian president Vladimir Putin’s hand in his war against Ukraine. Earlier this month, former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan told MSNBC that it is “absolutely essential” to Putin that Trump win back the White House in 2024. “I think it is Putin's main lifeline in order to find some way to salvage what has been a debacle in Ukraine for him," Brennan said. "If Trump is able to return to the White House...Putin could have a like-minded individual that he can work with, detrimental to U.S. interests certainly and detrimental to Western interests overall.” The intelligence community assesses that Putin worked to help Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections, and is pushing pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine propaganda now. (Letters from an American)

I cannot imagine any Reagan-era republican providing an ounce of support to Putin! Look how far the Republican Party has been destroyed my the Trump-era MAGA thugs.

And I want to refute those who are worried about a war with Russia. The United States has already fought and won a war with Russia, although back then it was called the Soviet Union then. The state of Russia actually was born out of that great victory in 1991. 

And what was that war called? The Cold War!

And why did we fight it? To prevent exactly what is happening now in Ukraine.

-- Bob Doan, Weston Lakes, TX

And the Market Fell

 

I noted that even though the Fed decided not to raise interest rates yesterday, the markets fell. 

That seemed weird to me. I thought the good news would cause the markets to rise.

But then, I read the news about the budget crisis and the looming government shutdown. This is that reason that the U.S. credit rating was reduced some months ago. We have leaders who are working to instill chaos into the markets and the world to work for their own delusional personal advantage. 

One writer summed the budget crisis up as follows:

Extremists in the House Republican conference are refusing to acknowledge the deal worked out for the budget last spring by President Biden and Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Instead, in order to pass even a continuing resolution that would buy time for Congress to pass an actual budget, they are insisting on cuts of up to 8% on discretionary spending that Senate Democrats, as well as Biden himself, are certain to oppose.

The White House has noted that the cuts the Republicans demand would mean 800 fewer Customs and Border Protection agents and officers (which, in turn, would mean more drugs entering the United States); more than 2 million women and children waitlisted for the WIC food assistance program; more than 4,000 fewer rail inspection days; up to 40,000 fewer teachers, aides, and key education staff, affecting 26 million students; and so on. 

House speaker McCarthy cannot corral the extremists to agree to anything unless they get such cuts, which even other Republicans recognize are nonstarters (those cuts are so unpopular that Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reported today that Republicans are somewhat bizarrely considering changing their messaging about their refusal to fund the government from concerns about spending to concerns about border security). (Letters from an American)

Until the House Republicans can get their stuff together, we are in for a bumpy ride. 

And the markets, likely, will continue to fall. 

My answer would be for the speaker to try to find 5 or 6 republicans to work with the democrats and keep the government running. But, I guess that would be political suicide. That would be an incredible picture of bipartisanship. 

-- Bob Doan, Weston Lakes, TX

A Frightening Revelation

 

I read a frightening revelation this morning. It is a quote from Mitt Romney and it is scary in that it identifies, in my mind, why the Republican Party seems to have "gone off the rails."

The Atlantic published an excerpt from a forthcoming biography of Romney by McKay Coppins in which Romney expressed disgust with his Republican colleagues for feeding Trump’s lies to their voters in exchange for power and acknowledged that “[a] very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.”  (Letters to an American)

That is frightening, but not wholly unexpected. Here are two real examples of Republicans not upholding their oaths to support and defend the Constitution:

"Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., declared Monday that states "should consider" seceding from the United States . . . " Fox News

"Former President Donald Trump faced rebuke Sunday from officials in both parties after calling for the “termination” of parts of the Constitution . . . " - AP

Before taking office, the President and members of Congress, and almost all other government officials take an oath of office. In that oath they promise to "support and defend the Constitution". In the case of the President, the oath specifies that they will "preserve, protect, and defend" the Constitution. (Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government)

Both of these instances are clearly represent situations where the individuals involved are violating their Oaths of Office. Yet, there are no consequences. It is the same as the representatives and senators who supported the January 6 insurrection and who should not be allowed to hold public office since they had sworn and oath to uphold the constitution. No accountability and no consequences. 

While some citizens are being held accountable for their actions on January 6, apparently congress is above the law. Representatives have been censured for speaking the truth, but none are being censured for breaking their oath of office. 

Be afraid, be very afraid. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday Shorts

 

Well, Saturday has arrived and along with it the end of the week (would that be weekend?). 

First.

In response to my blog yesterday about jellyfish, among other things, my friend and former racquetballer, Jason, sent the image to the right. 

It made me laugh. Thanks, Jason.

Second.

In other activities, Chris and I went to see the movie Oppenheimer yesterday. I highly recommend the movie! It is solid history and a compelling story. I found some similarities to the movie The Imitation Game. It is sad how we use brilliant people and then discard them when we cannot reconcile their beliefs or lifestyle with ours.

Third.

Army Chief of Staff General James McConville, the 40th person to hold that position, retired today [yesterday]. Because Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has put a hold on military promotions for the past 8 months, there is no Senate-confirmed leader to take McConville’s place. There are eight seats on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the group of the most senior military officers who advise the president, homeland security officials, the secretary of defense, and the National Security Council. Currently, two of those seats are filled by acting officials who have not been confirmed by the Senate.

Politico’s defense reporter Paul McLeary wrote that as of today, there are 301 senior military positions filled by temporary replacements as Tuberville refuses to permit nominations to go through the Senate by the usual process. Two more members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will retire before the end of September. (Letters to an American)

Does anyone else see this as a potentially crippling our military? I thought Republicans were strong on defense? 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Is there a Plan?

 

Following the news can be both humorous and frustrating.

As I watch one of the two major political parties in our country implode, it has become clear that democracy is on the line.

The allegations that the Department of Justice and law enforcement have become weaponized are the first step in destroying the rule of law in our country. And that the Speaker of the House immediately jumped on the bandwagon to condemn the "target" letter that was issued without reviewing the allegations and evidence show just how low the party of Lincoln is willing to stoop.

I find some of the statements coming out of members of the party humorous, such as the statement (in yellow below) by Marjorie Taylor Green:

“I approve this message.”

Joe Biden’s Twitter account put that line over an ad using the words of Georgia Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Turning Points Action Conference speech from last weekend, in which she set out to tear down the president’s policies but ended up making him sound terrific. 

The description she intended to be derogatory—that Biden “had the largest public investment in social infrastructure and environmental programs that is actually finishing what FDR started, that LBJ expanded on”—was such an argument in Biden’s favor that the Biden-Harris campaign used it to advertise what the Democratic administration stands for: “[p]rograms to address education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty, transportation, Medicare, Medicaid, labor unions.” (Letters from an American)

Apparently, except for chaos and deception, there is no plan. The attacks on Women's Rights, the LGBTQ+ community, voting rights, and military readiness continue unabated by the party's members and apparently are condoned by leadership.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Indicting a Criminal

 Chris and I spent a large portion yesterday's 15 hour drive from Odenton to Tequesta listening to news channels and staying on top of world developments including the criminal activities of our former president. 

Some of what I heard, the untruths and misleading statements from the mouths of congressional republicans, yesterday really upset me. 

Congressman Jim Jordan was heard to quote a law about Presidents being able to do essentially anything they want with classified documents. The chief problem with this argument is that while Trump was president when he slinked out of Washington to Florida with the documents, as soon as Biden was sworn in he no longer could hide behind that law and was duty-bound to return the documents, classified or not, to the archives. He chose not to return the documents and tried to hide them in an illegal effort to retain them.

But, here is the real funny part, if the republicans want to use that law, then they need to stop railing against Biden and other presidents for their mishandling of classified documents. They can't have it both ways.

The real part of the indictment, as I understand it all, is not that Trump had the documents but that he failed to return them when requested and subsequently allowed persons not authorized to access them. 

Let's get real about treating Trump like any other person in a similar situation. I hesitate to remind, but ANG Airman Jack Texeria did essentially the same thing that Trump did. Where is he today? According to NBC, Jack Texeria in being held in jail pending trial. What is Trump expected to do today? Leave Florida and go back to New Jersey for a campaign rally. 

If Trump were being treated like any other person where would he be after being indicted? He would be in jail.

The republicans are using smoke and mirrors to attempt to exonerate a criminal. Plan and simple.

And let me add fuel to the fire. Why has no other former president been indicted on Federal charges? Because Trump is the only one of who has demonstrated total disregard for the rule of law and the Constitution.

This is not a politically-motivated witch hunt, he is not a martyr, he is a criminal and must, finally, be held accountable for his actions.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Note: Edits made at 0911 on 13 June re the documents transport to Florida

Debt Crisis - Solved or not?

 In a stunning display of bipartisanship, the House of Representatives voted to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling for two years.

A great victory--but the fight is not over. The Senate still needs to approve something similar. I do not fully understand why they have been sitting on the sidelines of this crisis.

Hopefully, the Senate will display similar bipartisanship and pass the measure which will avert a worldwide financial crisis once signed by the President. 

Do I like the measure? Not fully. But, it represents the kind of bipartisan compromise that our President, Joe Biden, is famous for achieving. 165 Democrats and 149 Republicans voted for the measure. 

But, sadly, the fight continues. 

Time will tell. But I am encouraged by the bipartisan vote.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Debt and Rights

Flamingos stand in a pond in Navi Mumbai, India,
on Sunday, May 22.
Punit Paranjpe/AFP/Getty Images

Like a bunch of flamingos.

That is what I feel our Congressional leadership is like, sometimes.

The debt crisis has been looming for months and they find out they may have five more days and they immediately plan to take five more days.

And what has the Democratic-controlled Senate been doing the past few weeks? They should have passed a debt ceiling bill and be negotiating with the House. Seriously, things apparently have become broken.

And the whole process is being held hostage by a few outliers.

I feel that the majority of the Congress just want to raise the debt ceiling and get on with business. Yes, the looming budget battle is going to be wild, but allowing a small minority to hold the whole country hostage and threaten not only our economy but the world's? Really?

Sadly that is where we are headed. In Florida, for instance, one parent can decide which books the majority of children cannot be exposed to in schools, whether the majority agrees or not. My view, if parents object to a book, then don't let their kids read the books. The idea that librarians can be held liable for obscene material in the collection, as a law in Arkansas is proposing, is preposterous. The definition of obscene is fairly amorphous and apparently changes with the wind. There is classical literature and art which certain people would feel is obscene. Look at the statues in Europe where portions have been broken off because someone felt it was obscene.

We have lost societal compass that made us what we are: an inclusive society that embraces individual freedoms and rights even if we, ourselves, don't agree with the practice of those rights. I believe that one can be Pro Life and yet support abortion rights. It is not that hard. There is no inherent right allowing someone to abridge the rights of others just because of a disagreement and especially when that disagreement is based upon a supposedly religious difference.

America is great because it is diverse and embraces differences. Wait, that, apparently is the liberal lie.

Well, I'm still waiting for Congress to raise the debt ceiling--a fairly simple task. I am not convinced they are capable of more complex problem solving.

Finally, I would never call members of congress flamingos, I like flamingos too much.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Debt Crisis or Not?

 

The U.S. is about to melt down and a small group of Republicans in Congress are playing their fiddles like Nero as Rome burned.* 

Meanwhile, the headline in the Washington Post read: “World watches in disbelief and horror as U.S. nears possible default.” The story by Rachel Siegel and Jeff Stein revealed that at the meeting of the G7 leaders in Hiroshima, Japan, this week, the finance ministers for the G7—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union—have been pulling U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen aside to ask her what is going to happen.

“Around the world,” Siegel and Stein write, “experts have been watching in disbelief as the U.S. flirts with its first default, fearful of the potential international economic ramifications—and astonished by the global superpower’s brush with self-sabotage.” (Letters from an American)

This is not a trivial matter. Failure to service the debt will destroy the U.S. as a world leader and potentially throw economies around the world into chaos. The crisis is already damaging the faith of borrowers around the world and could have very long reaching consequences which will affect every American in the future. 

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is the trump card in this instance. A discussion in an NPR piece explains how this may be accomplished, but it is widely believed that the amendment gives the President the authority to protect the good faith and credit of the U.S. The article is at: Democrats urge Biden to use his constitutional right to raise the debt limit. 

From the referenced article:

TINA SMITH: Well, first, I think that if anyone can find a reasonable agreement to get us out of this mess, it's President Biden. And it's - the Republicans should take the threat of default off the table immediately. I think that what Secretary Yellen is saying is that the Biden administration and the president are negotiating in good faith to try to find a path forward. But if the choice we have is between default, which would be disastrous, and the president using the clause in the 14th Amendment, which says that the validity of public debt shall not be questioned, we believe strongly - I believe strongly - that he should use that 14th Amendment authority to avoid the disaster of default.

The downside of employing such a unilateral action would be the alienation of the Republicans. Oh wait, some of them are already alienated and working to dismantle our country. On the other hand, I cannot see any upside to default.

OK, raise the debt limit and let's move on. 

The fallout for such a unilateral action will occur at the end of September when a new budget will need to be passed. I'm feeling a prolonged government shutdown coming as a small group of anarchists continue to have a stranglehold on the Republican Party. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

* Note: There is no historical evidence to support the assertion that Nero either started the fire or played his fiddle as Rome burned.

It Was Efficient

 

I guess you can sum up last night's Republican Town Hall as the President did: "Do you want four more years of that?"

Has anyone else noticed the huge difference between the leadership style of the current vs the former president?

The former, as was showcased during last night's Town Hall, enjoyed finger-pointing, blame, distraction, and lies.

I look to the stability of the cabinet and advisors to the President to understand how well things are going. A comparison between Trump and Biden, done by the Brookings Institute reveals the following:

              Cabinet Positions        A-Team Turn Over

Trump              14                            92%

Biden                 1                            47%

Trump Administration Analysis

Biden Administration Analysis

And then, so many supporters of the former President point to the border crisis as being a Biden failure, but yet for placing such emphasis on the border security, Trump did not increase the number of border patrol agents during his term and there was actually a net reduction, although small. (Statista)

Now, he [Trump] is advocating budget reductions which will further reduce border patrol agents. As the President noted: . . . the enormous costs of the cuts the Republicans insist they require before they will permit a raising of the debt ceiling, including, Biden emphasized, 30,000 federal law enforcement officers: “11,000 FBI agents, 2,000 Border agents, DEA agents, and so on.” (Letters from an American)

So much for border security.

The party of Lincoln has become the party of chaos!

Do we really need four more years of that nonsense?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Freedom in the Crosshairs

 Why is the news so depressing?

Why does it seem that we are being attacked in our very homes for what we believe, how we live, and how we perceive the country and the world?

Why do a vocal minority want to impose their values on the majority and take away freedom of choice, but yet do nothing about the carnage in America?

And what about mall shootings?

School shootings?

So much blood being spilled. 

I'm in a dark place this morning, I guess. 

I read an email about how democracy is dying.

A portion of that email:

That argument, articulated most clearly by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, is that the secular principles of liberal democracy—equality before the law, free speech, freedom to go to church or not, academic inquiry, a free press, immigration, companies that can make decisions based on markets rather than morality—destroy virtue by tearing down the sexual and religious guardrails of traditional society. In order to bring that virtue back, right-wing thinkers argue, the government must defend religion and self-sacrifice (although it’s hard to miss that they’re looking for other people to make those sacrifices, not themselves). 

Last week, on May 4 and 5, the Conservative Political Action Conference met in Budapest for the second time, and once again, Orbán delivered the keynote address. The theme was the uniting of the radical right across national boundaries. “Come back, Mr President,” Orbán said of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid. “Make America great again and bring us peace.” Orbán claimed his suppression of LGBTQ+ rights, academic freedom, and the media is a model for the world. 

Plenty of the people there from the U.S. seemed to agree. “Hungary,” Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) said, “is a beacon.” (Letters from an American) 

Note: Highlighting is mine

Freedom is in the crosshairs and under attack from both without and within. The story of Hungary is not one that America should follow.

Be aware!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Election Thoughts to Consider

Our Republic is facing dangerous challenges.  In advance of election season, which arguably is underway, I decided to ask my favorite AI engine a question. 

I asked:

What are the signs of an authoritarian leader? 

The response, According to ChatGPT, an AI language model trained by OpenAI:

There are several signs of an authoritarian leader. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Control of the media: Authoritarian leaders often try to control the media by restricting access to information, censoring news outlets, and promoting propaganda.

2. Personalization of power: Authoritarian leaders tend to concentrate power in their own hands and often surround themselves with loyalists who do their bidding without question.

3. Suppression of dissent: Authoritarian leaders often use tactics such as imprisonment, torture, and extrajudicial killings to suppress dissent and opposition.

4. Disregard for human rights: Authoritarian leaders tend to disregard human rights and civil liberties, often violating them in the name of national security or political stability.

5. Cult of personality: Authoritarian leaders often promote a cult of personality around themselves, encouraging the public to view them as the only solution to the country's problems.

6. Centralization of power: Authoritarian leaders tend to centralize power, often at the expense of local governments and institutions.

7. Lack of transparency: Authoritarian leaders often lack transparency in their decision-making processes and often make decisions behind closed doors.

These are just a few of the signs of an authoritarian leader, and not all authoritarian leaders exhibit all of these traits. However, if you see several of these signs in a political leader, it may be cause for concern. 

(OpenAI, 2023)

I was satisfied with the response. AI is generating a great deal of press and concern, but there are valid purposes for using AI. We must not be afraid of the technology, but we must understand the downside. Anything, it appears, can be used for both good and evil. 

As for the election, it is going to be a long election season. I have already been assaulted by deceptive advertisements that were bending the facts and distorting the truth. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

What Happened Yesterday?

 

Some call yesterday an historic day. Sadly, I guess it was because of what happened in New York City involving a former president. 

I have always looked up to most former presidents, of course there was a guy named Nixon who departed under a huge cloud. 

My point here is that a lot more happened in the world other than a former president begin indicted. 

From the Atlantic, here is a recap of some big other stories of yesterday:

Of course, a lot of other things did happen in the world today. Finland officially joined NATO, a hugely important geopolitical development. Wisconsin, long described as a “laboratory of democracy,” is holding an election that could alter the country’s future. A freight train sits as a derailed wreck in Montana. And in Florida, the state rapidly emerging as our own laboratory of authoritarianism, it’s a new day where people can walk around carrying concealed weapons without a permit—a policy that polling suggests most Floridians oppose but that is apparently wildly popular with the “own the libs” demographic.

“The era of nonalignment in our history has come to an end—a new era begins,” Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö said. (Letters from an American)

Of course, I am especially interested in the Florida item.  I guess I will never know who is packing heat. 

And I welcome Finland into NATO! That, friends, is huge!

So quite a bit happened yesterday. We were just a bit myopically focused upon a courthouse in NYC.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Where have the Republicans gone?

 Where have the real Republicans gone? 

Why have those who still believe in the ideals of Lincoln and Reagan seemingly gone into hiding while the Grand Old Party is co-opted by self-serving megalomaniacs? 

I see some potentially great Republicans out there, but they are hiding and afraid to crawl into the presidential olympics leaving the electorate to choose between worse and worse-er. 

I am appalled that one announced Republican presidential contender is allowed to stand on a platform for hours issuing vilifying and slanderous remarks while spouting irrational lies without consequences. 

The threat this person poses was summarized by one writer as follows:

And the danger to democracy at home was crystal clear last night, as former president Trump held a rally in Waco, Texas, where in 1993 a 51-day government siege of the headquarters of a religious cult gave birth to the modern anti-government militia movement. Since then, Waco has been a touchstone for violent attacks on the government. There, last night, Trump stood on stage with his hand over his heart while loudspeakers played not the national anthem but a song recorded by January 6 insurrectionists. Footage from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol played on a screen behind him. (Letters from an American)

And an unannounced Republican presidential hopeful travels the country on a book-signing tour espousing the great job he has done as a governor, yet peeling back the onion it is clear that he has turned his back on homeowners and residents who need relief from the dual hurricanes of this past year and on others, like me, who are facing quadrupling or more rises in homeowners insurance, if insurance can found. All the while facing he is backwards and saying what a great job he did during COVID while ignoring his actions to limit freedom of thought in education and attacking communities of people and issues with whom/which he does not agree (e.g., LGBTQ+, and Women's Rights) through legislation rammed through a rubber-stamp legislature.

I won't even begin to get started on the Republican Speaker of the House and how he has sold his soul and the  soul of the party for and is intent on crippling the country and its economy for personal gain and perceived power.

Where is the plan? How are these Republicans going to move the country forward from partisan finger-pointing and division to make America the land of e pluribus unum again? It is clear that the Republican leaders are not trying to make America one, but rather divide and conquer by pandering to their base rather than leading for the masses. 

Instead of working to make themselves great, America needs a president and congressional leaders who are the ultimate servants of the people. Leaders who listen and take action. Leaders who promote stability, and not self, through selfless actions and words. 

The Republican party has lost its way.

There are no leaders left to guide them back and the party has resorted to gerrymandering and cheating to remain a viable force in American politics. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

What Happened Yesterday?

 

The cold, windy weather kept me inside for most of the day and I wound up spending too much time watching the continuing drama that seems to be paralyzing the Republican-controlled House regarding a former president. 

Too much was written and too much was spoken. It is a criminal case moving through the system and no one, as yet, has actually been charged with any illegal behavior. The posturing is amazing, probably because everyone knows the "smoking gun was found in the room."

But here is some other information that was reported yesterday that could easily have been missed:

American citizen held hostage for 6 years in West Africa has been freed

CNN — 

An American aid worker who was kidnapped in Niger more than six years ago and held hostage by terrorists has been released, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted on Monday.

“I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity. The U.S. thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss & love him. I thank so many across our government who’ve worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom,” Sullivan tweeted. 

Jeffery Woodke is now being offered support and transport. He was released outside of Niger in the Mali-Burkina Faso area, the official said. 

Biden to designate area sacred to tribes as largest national monument of his presidency

Spirit Mountain is seen across the southern California and Nevada desert

CNN — 

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will officially designate a new national monument in Southern Nevada at a conservation event, according to a White House official. 

At more than 506,000 acres, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument will be one of the largest tracts of land to come under federal protection so far during Biden’s presidency, and will act to preserve Nevada’s Spirit Mountain and the desert around it.

Biden’s proclamation will mark a major victory for the surrounding Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, which has been advocating for the monument’s creation for around three decades. 

There is some very positive and uplifting things happening, we need to be careful not to get too mired in the continuing dramas. 

What happened yesterday? A lot of things that have nothing to do with a former president.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Unfit for Public Office

There seem to be more than a few candidates for public office that meet the qualifications for the label: unfit for public office. Unfortunately, there are those in the current congress who likewise meet the qualifications.

Let me focus on two candidates for the presidency,: Trump and DeSantis. 

We know a lot about Trump and despite his bluster, and promises of doing great things, arguably he actually made some positive accomplishments during his term. That written, however,  I believe Tucker Carlson has the best assessment of the former President as published in a Washington Post article:

Carlson, who had shared private meetings with the president and defended him on-air, added in a text: “I hate him passionately. … What he’s good at is destroying things. He’s the undisputed world champion of that. He could easily destroy us if we play it wrong.” - The Washington Post

The aptitude for destroying things seems to be the position of the Republican Party. Look at the current Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The Republicans seemingly have no platform except to destroy the United States by forcing a default on the national debt. 

Turning to DeSantis. He meets the definition of forcing his narrow vision onto people while telling them he is making them free. It is a classic bait and switch. He is making Floridians free; free from choice. 

I quote from Letters from an American about how DeSantis is imposing his draconian view of society onto Floridians:

When Florida governor Ron DeSantis last March signed the law commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, he justified it by its title: the “Parental Rights in Education” law. It restricted the ability of schoolteachers to mention sexual orientation or gender identity through grade 3, and opponents noted that its vagueness would lead teachers to self-censor.

Under the guise of protecting children, DeSantis echoed authoritarians like Hungary’s Victor Orbán and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who claim that democracy’s principle that all people are equal—including sexual minorities—proves that democracy is incompatible with traditional religious values. Promising to take away LGBTQ Americans’ rights offered a way to consolidate a following to undermine democracy.

DeSantis sought to shore up his position by mandating a whitewashed version of a mythic past. At his request, in March the Florida legislature approved a law banning public schools or private businesses from teaching people to feel guilty for historical events in which members of their race behaved poorly, the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (Stop WOKE) Act.

In July the Florida legislature passed a law mandating that the books in Florida’s public school cannot be pornographic and must be suited to “student needs”; a state media specialist would be responsible for approving classroom materials. An older law makes distributing obscene or pornographic materials to minors a felony that could lead to up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Unsure what books are acceptable and worried about penalties, school officials in at least two counties, Manatee and Duval, directed teachers to remove books from their classrooms or cover them until they can be reviewed. 

In January, DeSantis set out to remake the New College of Florida, a public institution known for its progressive values and inclusion of LGBTQ students, into an activist Christian school. He replaced six of the college’s thirteen trustees with far-right allies and forced out the college president in favor of a political ally, giving him a salary of $699,000, more than double what his predecessor made.

On February 28, right-wing activist Christopher Rufo, the man behind the furor over Critical Race Theory and one of DeSantis’s appointees to the New School board, tweeted: “We will be shutting down low-performing, ideologically-captured academic departments and hiring new faculty. The student body will be recomposed over time: some current students will self-select out, others will graduate; we’ll recruit new students who are mission-aligned.” 

Then, this Tuesday, the board voted to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the school. DeSantis has promised to defund all DEI programs at public colleges and universities in Florida.  

The attempt to take over schools and reject the equality that lies at the foundation of liberal democracy is now moving toward the more general tenets of authoritarianism. This week, one Republican state senator proposed a bill that would require bloggers who write about DeSantis, his Cabinet officers, or members of the Florida legislature, to register with the state; another proposed outlawing the Democratic Party.

DeSantis and those like him are trying to falsify our history. They claim that the Founders established a nation based on traditional hierarchies, one in which traditional Christian rules were paramount. They insist that their increasingly draconian laws to privilege people like themselves are simply reestablishing our past values.

Be careful for whom you vote. There are wolves seeking to destroy democracy. The promise of "Making America Great Again" just may result in disaster.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL