Posse Incitatus

Biden Spreads Insults

I never for one second bought the media's false notion that ol' Joe Biden is a "nice guy" or "inherently decent." Observing him over the years, going way back to his failed 1988 presidential campaign, I've noticed he's just another unremarkable political hack. Of average intelligence, expedient, hypocritical, mendacious, crooked and often petty and sarcastic.

Everyone knows he got caught lying about his law school record, plagiarizing a British politician, and fabricating the circumstances of the auto accident that killed his first wife and young daughter (it did not involve a drunk driver).

In more recent years, I was disgusted with Biden's obnoxious and childish behavior when he, as vice president, debated vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in the 2012 election. Biden frequently interrupted, was condescending and rude. Recently, even the New York Times wrote a piece about aides complaining that Biden often has a short fuse and berates his assistants when they don't coddle him just the way he likes. He reportedly lacks patience when members of his team try to explain complicated issues to him during briefings. A sign of old age? Or perhaps more evidence of creeping dementia? Irritability, moodiness and unpredictability can be telltale signs.

And then there's the crooked stuff. Those who don't suspect he was on the take based on his son Hunter's sordid dealings and treasure trove of shameful revelations on his laptop are simply partisan Democrats in denial.

Well, the president's tendency to insult others has grown worse in recent years. Remember during the campaign when he told an auto worker who complained Biden wanted to confiscate guns, "You're full of shit!" Or when he called a Veteran "fat" and "a damned liar" in Iowa after the veteran questioned whether Biden sold White House access to Ukraine while Hunter sat on the board of directors of a Ukrainian energy company (Burisma). Or how about when a black interviewer inquired about Biden taking a test to prove he had all his faculties, and Biden flew off the handle, comparing this to him asking the interviewer to take a drug test prior to conducting the interview. "Are you a junkie?" he asked rhetorically. (Can you imagine the media's reaction if a Republican candidate had said that to a black reporter?)

Well, Sleepy Joe's insults just keep coming. Here are a few, off the top of my head:

• He accused Republicans trying to prevent the banana republic mischief of HR1 of being bigots who advocated  "Jim Crow" policies to disenfranchise minority voters. A shameful and outrageous slur.
• He accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texans who favored ending the mask mandate "Neanderthal thinking."
• His Pentagon denied the motorcycle group "Rolling to Remember" a permit to gather in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to fallen military personnel, P.O.W.s and those missing in action. The ride and rally were traditions going back 30 years. No doubt, many of these macho Veterans on Harleys voted for Trump and don't care for the wokeism nonsense. Okay then, nor permit for you!
• During a week set aside to honor police officers, the White House issued an inappropriate statement that, while starting out with the cursory kudos to peace officers for their sacrifice and service, quickly denigrated into Black Lives Matter type propaganda. It was gauche, but we've come to expect such tasteless exhibitions from progressives.
• Meanwhile, the cringe-worthy press secretary, Jen Psaki, frequently resorts to condescension and imperious sarcasm whenever someone dares challenge her shallow narrative during media briefings. She's a real piece of work.

I'm sure other examples will pop into my head later on, but there's no need to list them all. Suffice it to say, Sleepy Joe Biden is an angry, nasty man. He is not a nice guy, or a charming grandfatherly type. Perhaps the public will wake up to that, just as they're now realizing that Donald Trump's policies in the Middle East and on the southern border were actually very good compared to the current chaos. The media's lies and propaganda can only go so far when few people are watching or reading. And based on the latest abysmal ratings for CNN and MSNBC, I do feel somewhat encouraged.

Middle East Mayhem

With each passing day, the Biden administration appears more and more to be channeling the miserable failure of the Jimmy Carter administration -- especially in its last two years (1979-80).

Aside from the domestic tumult and ominous economic signs besetting America, the Middle East is breaking out in war, and it's no surprise. Biden's administration is chock-full of anti-semites; Biden has disdain for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and as is typical of Democrats, his administration is dying to suck up to a pariah (Iran) and treat a loyal ally (Israel) with contempt.

We've seen it time and time again with Democrats: They idolize or at the very least refuse to criticize vile dictators like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Joseph Stalin, but they're quick to denounce allies. This goes for celebrities as well as swamp creatures. Recall that, during the throes of the Vietnam War, Jane Fonda posed with North Vietnamese soldiers aboard an anti-aircraft gun vehicle.

Domestically, the Democrats repeatedly coddle criminals and demonize police (think of the riots of 2020 -- aka "peaceful protests" -- and the effort to grant no bail or low bail to perpetrators, as well as the fund supported by Vice President Kamala Harris to bail out perps).

And in recent years, we've seen how Democrats administer uneven justice, letting their own crooks and thieves skate, while throwing the book at political opponents, even for seemingly mild offenses or simple political disagreements.

Well, in the wake of this horrendous administration's begging to rejuvenate the awful Iran nuclear deal, the mullahs obviously sense that Joe Biden is weak, spineless and naive. No doubt, they have contempt for him and mock him behind his back. And wouldn't you know, they've decided to start testing him -- through their Hamas and Islamic Jihad proxies in Gaza.

Following numerous disputes between the Israeli government and Arab residents of East Jerusalem in late April, stone throwing by Palestinians eventually led to some arrests and crackdowns by Israeli soldiers, and by early May the whole thing had blown up into Hamas launching rockets from Gaza into Jerusalem neighborhoods, killing many civilians.

While Israel has rightfully retaliated, many in the Democrat Party have taken the side of the terrorists and heaped bile upon the Netanyahu government. I will give the president credit for one thing: He stated publicly that Israel has a right to defend itself, although that was a rather weak statement. To their credit, some of the older Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Bob Menendez, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, echoed the president's sentiments.

The usual reprobates -- including the Squad of communist bigots -- Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and AOC -- have criticized their fellow Democrats for defending Israel. For the life of me, I don't get how so many Jews vote for Democrats time and time again. I guess this is what they call "self-loathing."

Is this an Intifada? Not yet, but it might become one. You can bet that bad actors including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian  President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's pint-sized pugilist, Kim Jong Un, are observing with great interest. They have to know that aside from his callow beliefs and policies, Sleepy Joe Biden is physically and mentally compromised. Most people who are not Democrat partisans and who are honest acknowledge that there are puppet masters behind the scenes pulling Joe's strings.

We live in dangerous times, and I shudder to contemplate the possibilities going forward. We're only four months into this wrecking ball of an administration, and things are looking bleak. For those who believe in prayer, pray. Please.

A Tale of Two Pipelines

By now it should be crystal clear that if the Democrats succeed in ramrodding their harebrained "green new deal" down America's throat, gasoline shortages and soaring gasoline prices will be part-and-parcel of our everyday reality. The bad old days of gas lines, quickly rising prices and unrest in the Middle East (another consequence of Sleepy Joe Biden's misguided policies) are quickly returning.

The 1,500-mile Columbia Pipeline going from the Texas Gulf Coast to metro New York City was hacked several days ago, and is offline temporarily. Severe gas shortages have occurred in many Southeastern states, and price rises -- already underway in recent months -- have accelerated.

In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wishes to close Enbridge's pipeline that crosses Michigan's Straits of Mackinac. The section in question is part of a 645-mile, 70-year-old pipeline running from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario, just across the St. Clair River from Port Huron, Michigan.

Last November Whitmer revoked a 1953 easement for Enbridge, due to what her administration alleges were multiple violations of the public trust doctrine. The governor gave the Calgary-based company 180 days to shut down the pipeline, threatening that the State of Michigan would be entitled to any profits Enbridge gained for days in operation past the deadline. Yesterday was D-day, and the pipeline is still humming along.

The company has stated it is confident it will win its court cases. And on top of that, Enbridge maintains that it negotiated an agreement with the Gov. Rick Snyder administration in 2018 that states if the government forces it to shut down Line 5, it will halt construction of an underground tunnel and new pipeline underway to carry oil  underneath the Straits of Mackinac, the body of water connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. 

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm ("Gov. Tinkerbell" to those of us poor Michiganders who had to endure eight years of her incompetence), was castigated Wednesday when she gave a flippant, tone-deaf answer to a question about gasoline shortages and rising prices. She said something to the effect of, if you drive an electric vehicle, you don't have to worry about this. Gee, thanks for that!

A side note: Jen-Jen, like so many Democrats, wouldn't have any standards at all if it weren't for double standards. She owns millions of dollars worth of stock in the electric battery manufacturer Proterra. But I digress.

The critics are right: Shutting down Line 5 would spike energy prices throughout the Midwest and Canada. Residents of Michigan's Upper Peninsula would be harmed greatly by soaring prices for oil and propane, which many of these people of modest means use to heat their homes. Michigan and other Midwestern states would lose millions of dollars of tax revenue, and tens of thousands of jobs would be lost.

Some of the same lessons will be learned the hard way in the wake of Sleepy Joe's reflexive decision to halt the Keystone Pipeline, something he did right after he assumed office.

As I've stated numerous times, Democrats base many of their beliefs and policies on emotion, imagery and idealism (there's also often a lot of rage and condescension to boot). A rational analysis of this unfolding fiasco reveals:

• Fossil fuels are burned to generate the electricity for electric vehicles;
• The raw materials that go into lithium-ion batteries, solar panels and windmill turbines require a shitload of CO2 emissions from the heavy equipment used to mine the minerals and other ingredients needed to manufacture these products;
• Progressive "green" policies hurt the poor and middle class the most. Strange that those who purport to feel angst about income inequality advocate policies that hammer the poor;
• Most people cannot afford electric vehicles without government subsidies;
• Closing down pipelines means oil and oil derivatives will be transported by truck and train. There is a far greater potential for environmental damage to occur from a truck or train accident than from a pipeline breach. Human lives are also more at risk;
• The engineering shows that we absolutely cannot eliminate fossil fuels and depend solely on wind and solar power, plus electric vehicles. Engineering is effectively a science, because it relies on immutable laws of physics as well as empirical evidence. I thought liberals were all about "following the science."

Americans -- especially those who are conservative and serve in government -- need to stand up and push back hard against the torrent of left-wing horse shit threatening to swamp us. This may well be the last stand. The battle is joined; the time is now.

Infrastructure Vulnerability Back in the News

A cyber attack on the massive Colonial Pipeline of the southeastern United States underscores once again how vulnerable the United States' infrastructure is, and how malevolent offshore hackers may wreak havoc on our economy and security.

In response to a ransomeware attack believed to have come from a Russian gang, Colonial Pipeline Co. has closed its 5,500-mile pipeline that carries gasoline and other fuels from the Gulf Coast all the way to metropolitan New York City. It may be a week or so until it's back online, and in the meantime, tank trucks will try to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, there's a critical shortage of tank truck drivers.

Apparently, the hackers penetrated the administrative layer of the system, but not the vital control systems that run and monitor the pipeline, the experts have said. 

This comes just five months after a large data breach involving Solarwinds' Orion software, used by many public sector organizations, that compromised data in the U.S. Commerce and Treasury departments, among other agencies, as well as in numerous private sector companies.

Monday's Wall Street Journal pulled no punches in assessing the danger. Its Page 1 story stated, "Many machines that control pipelines, refineries and power plants are well past their prime, have few protections against sophisticated attacks and could be manipulated to muck with equipment or cause damage, cybersecurity experts say."

The power grid and fuel lines are important parts of the infrastructure that undergird the U.S. economy and society. There are also financial and banking networks, fiber optics, satellite and land mobile infrastructure, as well as Internet networking hardware and related telecommunications equipment. The potential is enormous for catastrophic damage to be inflicted on our power plants, markets, logistics, and manufacturing. Life sustaining products including food, medicine, electricity and natural gas could be cut off or severely hindered.

In some cases, major infrastructure parts such as poles, wires, servers, routers, switches and HVAC equipment are aging and in need of replacement. In many cases, the less visible components -- e.g., computer chips, sensors and software applications -- are badly outdated and highly vulnerable to hacking.

This conversation has been going on for well over 20 years. It's sort of like the oft-repeated fact that the United States has thousands of bridges in dire need of repair (not to mention dams, airports and highways). It doesn't get front-and-center in our minds until a disaster happens.

Remember the Minnesota bridge disaster in 2007? It involved the I-35 W. Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, built in 1967, which collapsed during rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 145. More such disasters could be in store if we don't get serious about rebuilding, repairing and replacing critical infrastructure.

The Biden administration, as liberals and progressives so often do, has chosen to dwell in an idealistic fantasyland, naming any leftist program or item "infrastructure" so as to fit everything into a so-called "infrastructure bill." These people behave like four-year-olds, and it is utterly appalling.

The truth is, we need real investment in real infrastructure. Not money wasted on a Civilian Climate Corps, child care programs, yoga classes and "green" school lunches, among other pork barrel payoffs to political cronies. This is just one of many maddening things about Sleepy Joe and his misguided gang. I knew they would be bad; I just didn't know it would be this bad.

Happy Mother's Day!

You are what you eat, the axiom goes (thus prompting squirrels to ask, "Am I nuts?")...

In thinking about the importance of mothers in shaping and influencing their children's lives, I believe it's not too big a stretch to suggest that in many respects, you are your mother. Not literally or physically, obviously, but often in outlook, temperament, demeanor and personality.

Of course, fathers have great influence in how children develop, too, and that cannot be discounted. But the maternal bond is something sacred, something special. The fact that every person is biologically enmeshed with the woman who conceived, carried to term and birthed him or her, makes the mother and child relationship deeper and more profound than that of the father and child.

The mother's prenatal condition -- both physically and psychologically -- has a great impact on the child. Aside from the biological connection, mothers spend far more time caring for and nurturing children than fathers do. That statement may be anathema to many of today's woke crowd (i.e., the types who prefer "birthing person" over "mother"), but it still rings true.

Today, with divorce and out-of-wedlock births commonplace, mothers are more important then ever. In many cases, they face an uphill struggle bringing their children up right amidst all of the bad influences and temptations of the world.

I see some similarities in myself and my late mother, in terms of attitude and disposition, as well as demeanor and life style. (By life style, I mean simple things like food preferences, a love of reading, and an appreciation for nature.)

My siblings and I often lament that we didn't show enough gratitude and appreciation for all our mother did for us when we were young. For many of us, by the time we recognize how blessed we were and feel the full appreciation, it's often long after we've left the roost. Once your parents are gone, you'll never be able to express your gratitude again, so it's wise to do so when you have the opportunity.

Now, there are always exceptions, and sadly, there are a few abusive or neglectful mothers. What can I say about the sons and daughters of such people?

Far be it for me to give advice to these unfortunate souls, since I've never experienced such pain. But if forgiveness is sought, and if granting it is not out of the question, that's always a wise choice. 

Fortunately, I think such circumstances are greatly the exception, not the rule. There is dignity and beauty in motherhood. Deep down, I think most mothers certainly appreciate and understand that, and feel blessed despite whatever burdens they bear.

In today's troubled world, mothers are more important than ever. May they recognize that, rise to the challenges, and receive the support and praise they've earned.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. May they have a wonderful day today. And let's hope those whose mothers still are with us will express their love and gratitude while they still can.

Keith Richards, Andrew Cuomo -- a Common Thread

We've all heard of people who lived a clean life, yet died relatively young of cancer or a sudden heart attack. Little or no drinking, no smoking, not overweight, healthy diet, did get some exercise.... and then one day -- kaboom -- the person drops dead. Could be genetic, might be an undiagnosed medical condition such as a heart defect. Or maybe it was just that person's time to go. None of us knows when our time will come, and therefore we must guard against being cocky or complacent.

And then there are those who have subsisted on a rich diet for decades without exercising, smoked like a chimney, and never missed their evening cocktails. They may or may not have engaged profusely in the horizontal mambo. Yet they live to be 87 or 90. Genetics, good friends, laughter, a positive attitude and love of life have a lot to do with it. But not always.

The two men named in today's headline -- Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- definitely lean toward the second scenario.

Richards is the personification of decadence and excess -- a runaway libido in his younger days, hard liquor and drugs such as heroin (a famous 1970s folklore has it that Richards underwent a complete blood transfusion -- tantamount to a vehicle getting an oil change -- to rid his body of heroin-tainted blood). Just as some people boast of having an "iron gut" that allows them to eat and drink anything without getting sick or having a stomach ache, Richards seems to have been born with an Energizer Bunny-type liver. He's still alive, reportedly still records and practices with the band, and the Strolling Bones are even planning their next tour. (Sponsored by Depends, perhaps?)

As for the Guv, I can't make any claims of his having a tendency toward dipsomania, nor can I contend that he has abused drugs. His libido obviously leads him around by the nose, as evidenced by the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him and the toxic work environment so many of his former and current female employees have complained about.

Cuomo's lack of a moral compass and nihilistic bent was evident when he signed barbaric late term abortion legislation in 2019 (to the delight of depraved New York lawmakers who gave a standing ovation), then celebrated by lighting up the pink spire atop One World Trade Center. 

Besides being a serial sexual predator and first-class creep, Cuomo is arrogant, narcissistic to the point of being delusional, mendacious, and downright incompetent. Who writes a book extolling his greatness and pockets millions of dollars while he's in the midst of abject, catastrophic failure and disgrace? (And this begs the question: Who are the cretins who actually pay money for such a book and read it?)

In any red state or less deep blue state, Cuomo would be toast. His term in office would have come to an abrupt halt by now due to public outrage, scorn and contempt. He has blood on his hands, as he stupidly sent thousands of senior citizens to their deaths during the early months of the pandemic by forcing nursing homes to accept COVID19 patients, thus causing the virus to spread like wildfire.

Yet Cuomo takes a licking and keeps on ticking (another commercial rhyme that aging Baby Boomers such as myself can't forget). He just may survive his current term AND run for re-election. New York's Attorney General, Letitia James, will be a formidable opponent in the Democrat primary. It was her office that spilled the beans on Cuomo's corrupt regime attempting to low-ball the number of seniors sent to nursing homes, and by extension, the number of seniors who died from COVID-19.

Keith Richards and Andrew Cuomo are products of their environment. There are millions of people who have made a train wreck of their lives with promiscuous sex and overindulgence in drugs and alcohol. (Many of them are six feet under.) And God knows, there are also untold numbers of reprobate politicians throughout the world.

What continues to amaze and disgust me is that there are so many millions of gullible, ignorant voters who not only elect scumbag, failed politicians, but re-elect them. See De Blasio, Cuomo, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Adam Schiff, et al.

Heaven help us.