So, Joe Biden Had a Bad Day

 By Mildred Robertson

Okay. President Joe Biden looked a little shaky during the June 27 debate. Was it disappointing for those who support a strong, democratic government?  Absolutely!

But does it mean that we must accept the leadership of a convicted rapist and felon who promoted an insurrection against the federal government? Absolutely not!

As we examine the optics of this debate, it is clear that President Biden was not having a good day. It also was clear that the format smoothed Trump's rough edges so we did not see the wild-eyed lunatic that normally shows up at rallies, speeches, and on Trump Social Media. But the lies were still there.

For instance, Trump’s rhetoric on abortion was patently absurd, and filled with lies. Clearly, doctors are not aborting babies at nine months and up to days after birth. That would be called murder. He denied having had relations with Stormy Daniels, which a jury of his peers found to be false.  While his affair is of no one’s concern but his and Melania’s, the FACT that he paid hush money to keep that knowledge away from voters during the 2020 election is everybody’s business.

As voters mull over the pros and cons of each candidate, I hope they bear in mind that Joe Biden has done a lot to bring America out of the ditch into which Trump drove us.

• He took meaningful steps to clean up the COVID mess left by his predecessor.  
• He drove down prescription drug costs.
• He actually PASSED an infrastructure bill.
• He signed an executive order to allow citizenship for spouses of Dreamers.
• He stood up to Putin’s aggression and provided support for Ukraine despite rabid Republican opposition.
• He has attempted to moderate the conflict in the Middle East, though challenges still exist. They would exist for any president. Atrocities on both sides make it difficult to throw one's support totally to one side or the other.
• He proposed meaningful border legislation that was killed by Trump and his sycophants.
• While gas and food prices are high, America still leads the world in terms of financial stability. Economic indicators are moving in a positive direction even as corporate greed pushes prices as high as the market will allow. (That’s known as capitalism.)
• He supports a woman’s right to choose.

While Joe Biden promises to spend the next four years working to continue to improve the plight of Americans, from young people seeking relief from student debt to those seeking to buy new homes, his opposition is still stuck in the past, whining about a win in 2020 that was outside his reach. 

Trump LOST that race, yet he still wants to canonize the rebels who stormed the Capitol, urinated in its hallowed halls, and threatened to hang Mike Pence. He yearns to be a dictator, if only for one day, (wink-wink). He promises tax cuts to the wealthy and continues to denigrate Black Americans by claiming that he will win their votes because of his mugshot. His promise to them…the return of “black” jobs…whatever that means.

So am I somewhat disheartened, yes, but not in despair.  I believe the majority of American voters are astute enough to know that a 2^nd Trump presidency would be catastrophic. It would isolate us from world leadership and launch our democracy on a path to destruction.

We have begun the hard job of recovery from the four years we suffered under Trump’s leadership. I do not believe our democracy could bear the burden of four more years of that corrupt administration. So when you enter the voting booth, think about whether this country’s foundational democracy is important to you. If it is, you must VOTE BLUE.

THE SUPREME COURT PROBABLY WON’T SAVE US

 By Mildred Robertson

The Supreme Court is rushing toward its final days in this term, with much left to be decided.  With little more than a week to go, several high-profile cases remain to be heard, including cases that could reshape our nation’s laws ranging from gun control and abortion rights to social media issues. The Court actually upheld a law that bars domestic abusers from possessing firearms…a rare victory for gun control advocates, but short-lived, as the Court also ruled that a bump stock does not make an AR a machine gun, even though it can discharge as many rounds as one.

A Court that boasts a 6-3 conservative majority has yet to issue rulings on the abortion pill and some gun rights issues. Of course, the most high-profile case coming before them is the Donald Trump immunity case, where Trump argues that former presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts they took in office. They also are considering the indictment he faces on charges of election interference. He argues that the previous rule held that former presidents can’t be sued in civil cases for what they did in office. But the Court has yet to weigh in on criminal immunity. He hopes that the Court will give him a get-out-of-jail-free card. By taking on this case, the Court gave Trump a win by making it next to impossible for the case to be brought against him before the election, even if they ruled that he is not immune from prosecution.  

The Court has yet to decide on whether hundreds of insurrectionists who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, should be prosecuted and jailed for obstruction charges related to their attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the duly elected President in the 2020 election. That is a charge also faced by Trump for obstructing an official proceeding. The Court’s decision could invalidate more than 330 January 6 prosecutions…including Trump’s.

An example of the type of accused insurrectionist who might be cleared is Joseph Fischer who texted his boss before the January 6^th insurrection to tell him that he might need to post bail.  He allegedly warned that the protest at the US Capitol “might get violent.” It is also alleged that he said, “they should storm the capital and drag all the democrats [sic] into the street and have a mob trial.”

According to the Justice Department, it was Fischer who allegedly yelled “charge,” on the day of the insurrection before running and crashing into a line of police inside the Capitol. Video footage cited by the Justice Department shows at least one officer on the ground following Fischer’s assault, after which he was forcibly removed. The FBI identified Fischer based on a Facebook post that he posted showing him inside the Capitol on January 6.

Fischer has yet to be tried because the criminal proceeding has been tied up in appeals after a Trump-appointed trial judge ruled that one of the criminal laws with which he is charged must be narrowly interrupted.  The case, Fischer v. United States, is now being reviewed by the Supreme Court. The statute says that anyone who obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding or attempts to do so commits a serious federal crime and can be imprisoned for up to 20 years.  The Justice Department has charged approximately 330 January 6 defendants with violating this statute during the insurrection.  Among the accused…Donald J. Trump.

While the Court considers issues such as abortion rights, guns, homelessness, and environmental issues, scandal looms over two of the Court's conservative majority members. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was caught on tape stating that he questioned whether a compromise between the left and the right is possible. According to audio posted by liberal filmmaker Lauren Windsor, Alito said “One side or the other is going to win…there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised.” This leads us to wonder whether Justice Alito can make an unbiased decision in any controversial case. This issue is magnified when you see Alito entangled in a community controversy over flying the American flag upside down above at least two of his residences. Flying the flag in that manner is both disrespectful and an indication of allegiance to the insurrectionists.

Then, there’s Clarence Thomas who has received financial perks from billionaire Harlan Crow that he failed to declare publicly. Now, he acknowledges he should have disclosed the free trips. He amended his financial disclosure for 2019 stating that he “inadvertently omitted” the trips on previous reports.

While the Court labors under a cloud of suspicion regarding its integrity and which cases it took up and why; America’s future hangs in the balance. This nation stands on the precipice of disaster if the Supreme Court does not show the same kind of strength and integrity we have witnessed across this nation, as state courts held rioters, insurrectionists, rebels, and even would-be kings responsible for their actions.

It is my prayer that the Court holds the line and protects democracy. If it does not…YOU are the last line of defense.

You must vote for this country’s future. You must support the candidates who put country before party, who put citizens above businesses, and who put freedom and justice above anarchy.

It is up to you…because NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US.