Posse Incitatus

Winding Down

Longtime readers of the Posse undoubtedly have noticed that posts are becoming less frequent. And although I haven't explicitly stated this, my friend and former co-worker who founded Posse Incitatus in 2004 has moved on to other endeavors.

For approximately a year, at least 95 percent of the posts on Posse Incitatus have been written by yours truly (nom de plume T-Mo). 

The Posse was launched during the throes of the Iraq War and just three years after 9/11. I joined as a full-time blogger in 2009, and for the most part, I've enjoyed it. There has been no remuneration; just the satisfaction of knowing that some of our readers have agreed with and appreciated my insights, plus the knowledge that practicing different types of research, writing, analysis, presentation and argumentation has helped me discipline my intellectual and reasoning capacities.

For nearly 40 years, I have made my living as a communicator. Writing and editing are my specialties, but I have also done more than my share of oral communications -- speeches, TV appearances, press conferences -- as well as graphic communications using Photoshop and InDesign. (I wish I had made an effort to learn video editing; it would have helped me tremendously.)

Looking back on my contributions to the Posse, I acknowledge several states of mind as drivers of my prose: anger, frustration, passion, satisfaction, whimsical joviality (credit those Friday night cocktail hours), tranquility and gratitude (often thanks to prayer), and serious introspection coupled with anxiety and self-doubt, both of which have seemingly been with me since the zygote stage.

But times change. Our methods of communicating and gathering information evolve. To illustrate my point, consider the days when you would have to wait for tomorrow morning's newspaper (the printed version) until you could get the updated news. Or, if you tuned into the 6 p.m. or 11 p.m. news the night before, you might get a jump on those who waited for the next day's paper to come out.

Just as traditional newspapers and TV news have been supplanted by the Internet and social media, so have blogs been diminished in recent years. If I want to watch movies or an awesome TV series in 2022, I'm likely going to Netflix, HBO Max, Showtime or another streaming service. If I want up-to-the-minute news, I'm going to rely on my smartphone apps to see the latest videos and commentary. Likewise, political analysis and commentary are better found on social media and news aggregator websites than on individual blogs.

When Posse Incitatus was founded in 2004, social media was in its infancy. I'm not even sure the term "social media" was in use. Facebook was just starting up, and in its early days was far more restrictive and rudimentary than it is today. Today's hot apps, including Twitter, TikTok, InstaGram and many others, had not yet been created.

Nor had Substack, an excellent website that truly promotes free speech and alternative viewpoints, allowing writers and podcasters to express themselves unchained from the propaganda and group-think of the corrupt mainstream media. Many of its writers used to belong to the legacy media, but were ostracized for daring to go against the narrative of this largely discredited institution. They rightfully took umbrage at the mindset that it's quite alright to crap on the First Amendment, suppress free speech and ruthlessly promote a far-left, progressive (née Nazi) philosophy and agenda.

Readers, viewers, and listeners have ample choices in 2022. Because its purveyors have higher priorities (including full-time jobs, families and faith), Posse Incitatus has become something of a Redbox or pay telephone. A few people might still find it useful, but not enough to justify spending a lot of time and energy on the enterprise.

A while back, I alluded to the need for more positive thinking, less angst, anger and anxiety. I have posted more positive commentaries in recent weeks, and cut back on my contemptuous rants against Sleepy Joe Biden and the cancerous, vile progressives that surround him.

A couple weeks ago, I had something of an epiphany that reaffirmed I am doing the right thing by backing away from the toxic politics. As these things go, it was a simple moment, but a profound one that resonated clear as a bell.

My employer held a two-day business meeting at a well-known resort in Traverse City, a scenic area in the northwest part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. I decided to just drive my own vehicle and get reimbursed for the mileage. This is partly because I am comfortable with it, and can enjoy Sirius-XM satellite radio plus my CDs.

On the way back, as I was just a few miles east of Traverse City on the 170-mile journey back to East Lansing, I decided to listen to a CD I hadn't heard in years: Bob Marley's "Legend," a compilation album that I nearly wore out way back in my 20s.

I was stone-cold sober (of course; I was driving!), but I almost felt like I had a buzz on, I was feeling so good. The weather was a bit hazy, with alternating light showers for a few minutes, then the sun peeking out from behind the clouds to shimmer off the glistening leaves, and a surreal mist that seemed to enhance the mood. I thoroughly enjoyed Marley's classic reggae tunes and the gently rolling, wooded hills splendent in fall colors. It was, to use the title of an ELO song, a "Strange Magic." Why haven't I listened to this CD more often, I asked myself? This is great stuff.

It occurred to me that enjoying life's simple pleasures and freeing my mind from the caustic conflicts of the day is good medicine. Again, I am not being polly-anna and pretending our nation does not have serious problems. Only coming to terms with the fact that I cannot improve things by getting chewed up in the toxins.  If anything, I can be a more effective agent for change if my mood is elevated, my optimism boosted and my hope for better days strengthened.

I can't sleep nights if I get too fixated on the scum inside the Beltway and how they are ruining our country. The corrupt deep state and political class are like horror stories of child sexual abuse -- just too damned painful, disgusting and maddening to contemplate for very long. I know horrible things went on during World War II, in Saddam's Iraq, in Castro's Cuba, and today in Ukraine, where the Russians have perpetrated heinous forms of torture and murder upon captured Ukrainian troops. But I just cannot dwell on it for too long, anymore than I could stand close to a vat of laboratory chemicals and inhale deeply.

So with today's commentary, I am signing off. But not permanently. Depending on what the administrator of this website and I agree upon regarding keeping it online (it's not free, you know), this blog could go on indefinitely, albeit with infrequent postings. 

One of my priorities as I move away from posting several commentaries each week is to complete a book I started six years ago and have been working on sporadically. As I may have mentioned a time or two, I went through a financially devastating period from 2013-2015 (the anemic, abysmal Obama economy). I was unemployed for a while, and when I did find a job, it was for dirt wages. I needed to quickly find something that would pay substantially better wages in order to keep the wolf from the door.

I had heard about the big demand for truck drivers, and thought I would like to try something radically different from what I had been doing for decades. So in 2015, I enrolled in truck driving school. After six weeks, I completed the course and then passed my driving test with a state examiner. I had earned a Class A commercial driver's license (CDA).

I worked for two different trucking companies from March 2015 until December 2016, when I resigned because my wife did not want me on the road anymore and I agreed it would be great to get back to sleeping in my own bed and living a more normal life. I knew I would have to regress to dirt wages and a peon job until I found something legitimate, but I did resign my position for the sake of my marriage.

Sure enough, I worked a couple of low wage jobs for peanuts until I finally landed on my feet about a year after I gave up the big rig. But while I was driving, and since then, I have thought that it might be a good idea to help the public understand how important trucking is to our way of life. I want to instill an appreciation for the challenges faced by truck drivers, and to explain their lifestyle as well as the technical challenges of the job. Recounting some entertaining anecdotes should enhance the message.

I'd say I am about 90 percent done with my book (I should have completed it years ago, but procrastination has long been one of my bad habits). Family and a full-time job tend to get in the way, but enough with the excuses! I might publish a few excerpts here on the Posse; I will also post updates on the expected publication date and what the public reaction / response has been.

 From time-to-time, I will chime in to comment on important news and developments (including next week's mid-term election).

So, for the time being, thanks to all Posse readers for your loyalty over the years. I hope I have the chance to meet some of you somewhere down the road. Check back on this website from time-to-time for updates, and take care. Stay safe, stay sane, and always continue to fight the good fight for liberty!

Trump's Revenge: A Stick in the Eye for Jan. 6 Committee?

Donald Trump might be plotting a metaphorical middle finger for the Jan. 6 panel, which has subpoenaed him to appear for questioning. If he pulls it off, it would be hilarious. More on that shortly, but first a little context.

Obscene behavior, outrageous actions, blasphemy and obnoxious grandstanding sometimes are in the eye of the beholder. If the ox that's gored is a person or institution you abhor, you  may well cheer on the protester or form of protest. But if you hold something dear and people insult and damage it with words and actions, you take umbrage and view the offender with contempt.

For example, I can recall radical gay activists (ACT UP and Queer Nation) doing outrageous things inside St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan during a Mass back in the late 1980s. Things like accepting the holy eucharist, then throwing the consecrated wafer on the floor and stomping on it. Or urinating on pillars inside the cathedral. Anti-Catholic people (there are millions of them) probably relished that with gusto, while many Catholics and even non-Catholic Christians were angry and appalled.

As hateful as the left is toward former President Donald Trump, he would never engage in such ugly behavior. Granted, he is a narcissist, a liar, a serial philanderer, an egotist and a ceaseless blowhard.  (But if lying, womanizing and having a massive ego were disqualifying traits, there would be nobody left to run for or serve in office!)

I often disapproved of Trump's immature behavior and penchant for wallowing in silly tit-for-tat social media arguments with inane entertainers not worth his time. But I supported many of his policies and actions. He was a very good president -- one who loves America, has its best interests at heart and is correct on the major issues. I love the way he pushes back ferociously against the colossus of corruption, hypocrisy and evil that is the left wing and its multiple tentacles of destruction.

Trump was not and is not afraid to insult the corrupt jackals of the Fourth Estate, call out the FBI and DOJ for Gestapo-like tactics and double standards, and insult nasty progressives whose use of profanity and ugly attacks makes Trump look like a Boy Scout. He speaks the plain truth about the destructiveness of our border invasion, the tragedy of unchecked Fentanyl killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, and the ruthlessness of China, which is truly, to use Ronald Reagan's words, an evil empire.

At times, Orange Julius shoots himself in the foot with needless insults that are supposed to be funny. In 2019,  Congressman John Dingell, a World War II vet, passed away at age 92 after serving in Congress for an incredible 60 years. During a rally, Trump recalled Dingell's wife, Debbie, thanking him for lowering flags to half staff and calling her to express his condolences. He recalled her saying, "He's looking down on us now. John is thrilled."

Trump told his crowd, "Maybe he's looking up, I don't know." That was one of the more classless and tasteless low blows the Trumpster has ever committed. Dark humor has no place in a scenario where people are mourning the death of a loved one. 

But there is one in-your-face insult that Trump could commit that would earn the love and respect of millions of his supporters while getting under the skin of the Jan. 6 tormenters: During his testimony, he could announce his intention to run for president in 2024.

The outrage would be palpable, but it would be an effective "F*** YOU!" to these jackals. Trump would undoubtedly be in a surly, angry mood and would attempt to dress down the committee. They would either shout him down, or cut off his microphone.

He could stomp out in a huff, after which the panel would hold him in contempt. They would turn it over to the Department of Justice, which might order the indictment or arrest of Trump. So what? That's bound to happen anyway.

Who knows? We're only halfway through the month; a major October surprise may be coming up in a few days or a couple weeks. Something that could throw a monkey wrench into the plans of the Jan. 6 committee and Donald trump. 

As the expression goes, grab some popcorn and pull up a chair...

Sayonara Samuel Stanley!

Just 3 1/2 years after he assumed the helm at Michigan State University, Dr. Samuel Stanley today announced his resignation as president of the 50,000-student institution.

In a five-minute video posted on YouTube, Stanley announced he would leave within 90 days, and cited his utter lack of confidence in MSU's Board of Trustees as his reason for resigning.

He summarized major accomplishments and initiatives that occurred under his watch, including completion of the world-class Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, record fundraising, and attainment of 40 programs ranked in the Top 25 of U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings of universities and their academic programs. He thanked his dedicated leadership team, and lauded MSU's faculty and students for their support as well as their refusal to be micromanaged by the trustees.

I get the feeling that university presidents are becoming as vulnerable as major college football coaches to being sacked just a few years into their contracts due to the whims and unreasonable expectations of governing bodies, alumni and fickle people, be they the student body, faculty, alumni or football fans. MSU might have a hard time attracting an excellent candidate to replace Dr. Stanley because of its many dysfunctions and its whacked out board of trustees.

I see a similar problem when I compare the MSU Board of Trustees with the Detroit City Council: Too many members are elected solely on name recognition. One disastrous MSU trustee who's no longer on the board was Joel Ferguson. He was a big athletic booster, civic leader and a prominent local businessman. His late brother Christian was a former MSU basketball player and longtime head basketball coach of East Lansing High School.

Another MSU trustee was a former head football coach, the late George Perles. But Perles was long in the teeth by the time he was elected, and had a stroke several years ago. In his final year or two on the board, he looked like death warmed over. He could barely stay awake and appeared senescent. 

When I lived and worked in Detroit (2009-2013), the city government had several prominent elected officials who were in office due to celebrity and name recognition rather than track record and competence. The 1960s-1970s Detroit Pistons star Dave Bing was mayor. He wasn't a great leader, but at least he was honest and dignified, unlike his thuggish predecessor, Kwame Kilpatrick.  

Another celebrity, who served on the City Council, was 1960s Motown singer Martha Reeves, whose group "Martha and the Vandellas" had a number of hits including "Dancing in the Streets," "Heat Wave" (later covered by Linda Ronstadt) and "Jimmy Mack."

Perhaps the Michigan Legislature should pass a law calling for the governor to appoint university trustees. One thing that's true in states where this is the M.O. is that the bar for removal of an incompetent or crooked trustee is much lower for appointed, rather than elected trustees.

I see the MSU Board of Trustees as like the Ford family in Detroit, which has owned the Detroit Lions for over 60 years. No matter who's on the roster, who the head coach and general manager are, futility prevails for decades. The one common thread during the Lions' long, painful past is the Ford family ownership.

Unless MSU can straighten out its dysfunctional governing board, the university will continue to careen from one P.R. fiasco to another.

 

Is Fear Factor the Biggest Distorter of Polls?

We have known for many years that political polls tend to favor Democrats. To some degree, this is because of the way questions are worded (i.e., typically from a liberal perspective), and also due to pollsters' tendency to oversample Democrats.

We have long heard about the "shy voter" who fears revealing his/her true conservative beliefs, thinking it will trigger a hostile reaction or ridicule from the questioner. I have never believed that was a major factor; survey personnel ought to be able to maintain their composure. You would think that any polling organization that wants to be respected and maintain a solid reputation would be careful about conducting background checks on those it hires, as well as training them to act in a professional manner.

More than likely, conservatives and Republicans are leery of opening themselves up as a target to abusive federal, and in some cases state, agencies that have been weaponized to go against political opponents.

Barack Obama ramped up the surveillance state, and Joe Biden has continued it with gusto. But when it comes to weaponizing the feds to go after political enemies, Obama was a piker compared to Biden. He infamously used the IRS to target Tea Party groups, and also sicced the EPA on some corporate enemies. And granted, he was part and parcel of the Russian collusion hoax, so he was abusing the FBI and DOJ.

But I don't recall the Obama administration being nearly as heavy-handed with DOJ and the FBI as Biden has been. Biden has used these once respected agencies as his personal Gestapo, and this is reprehensible. He's playing with fire, and apparently is too senile to realize how dangerous and destructive this is. In addition to the Mar-a-lago raid, endless charges against Trump, and arrests / indictments of many of his former supporters, the outrageous raid of a pro-life activist who had a run-in with a foul-mouthed abortion supporter outside a Planned Parenthood clinic may have been the last straw.

Those of us who hold conservative views have good reason to be leery, and that includes placing yard signs out front of the house, putting bumper stickers on our vehicles, writing letters to the editor, speaking out on talk radio and giving honest answers to pollsters.

I hope and pray that Republcans take both the House and Senate, and can begin to push back ferociously against this totalitarian behavior. Time is running out, and unless we can put a stop to the abuses, they will only get worse. Liberty will be extinguished forever.

Musings on the MSU Football Mess

With all of the dire developments in our society these past 2 1/2 years, and our alarming slide into dystopia, I have had less and less interest in sports. Sports, music, movies.... None of it seems to matter much when our civilization is literally on the brink.

For one thing, the stupid woke policies of the pro sports leagues really rub me the wrong way. It also doesn't help when Detroit's four professional teams have been horrendous for years. (The Lions showed potential during the preseason and stoked fan interest with their appearance on four episodes of HBO's "Hard Knocks," but are now 1-3.)  The Lions are at least entertaining, but every bit as futile as they've been for a long time. They lead the league in points scored AND points against.

Turning to college sports, my alma mater, Michigan State, is suffering through a brutal football season (now 2-3 and en route to a butt-kicking by No. 3 Ohio State later today) after finishing 11-2 in 2021.

In 2021, the Spartans exceeded expectations. There were a few talented seniors left over from former Coach Mark Dantonio's tenure, and Coach Mel Tucker, hired in early 2020, also did a masterful job plugging in key players he signed through the transfer portal. The key was superstar running back Kenneth Walker III, who finished the season with 1,636 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, including an incredible 5 TD performance in a victory vs. arch-rival Michigan.

He won the Doak Walker award as the nation's best college running back and was under consideration for the Heisman Trophy. Today he is on the roster of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Many of the most talented players from 2021 either graduated or moved on, and there is a dearth of talent left over. Additionally, injuries to key players have weakened the Spartans's both defensively and offensively this season. While MSU was expected to be competitive this season, lopsided losses to Washington and Minnesota have exposed their weak defense and inconsistent offense.

In particular, the secondary, the 2021 Achilles' Heel, remains weak, and the offensive and defensive lines are unimpressive. Dantonio's weak recruiting his last couple of years have caught up with MSU. Although Tucker has been recruiting well, this will take a couple years to manifest itself on the field.

Several factors have coincided to harm the Spartans. First was the timing of Dantonio's departure after two lackluster seasons in 2018 and 2019. The MSU athletic director and Board of Trustees made a huge mistake by guaranteeing Dantonio a $4 million retention bonus if he stayed on board until early February 2020.

It was obvious Dantonio had run out of gas, as had his program. He had checked out mentally for months, if not years before he quit. If he really had cared about the future of the program, he would have resigned immediately following the team's final regular season game in November 2019, or at the latest following a meaningless bowl game vs. Wake Forest in late December. This would have allowed his successor to be picked and get moving on recruiting during January 2020.

But Dantonio stayed on board to cash a big check in early February, and by the time Tucker was named to succeed him, recruiting season -- already hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic -- was almost over. He was left with Dantonio's scraps.

So realistically, Tucker has only had one full recruiting season, and part of a second season, to recruit. Although talented freshmen are on the roster, many of them are not yet ready to compete at this level. But some of them have been pressed into service due to starters incurring serious injuries. Freshmen Dillon Tatum and Jaden Mangham, both four-star recruits, are starting in the secondary and will be sorely tested today against the Buckeyes' high-flying offense.

Last year, the Spartans were annihilated in Columbus, trailing Ohio State 49-0 at the half. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2021, toyed with the MSU secondary as if he were playing against seventh graders. Ohio State literally could have scored 100 points against the MSU secondary, ranked near the bottom in Division 1 for passing yards allowed. Fortunately, Coach Ryan Day called off the dogs, putting second and third stringers in for much of the second half, with the game ending 56-7.

What is alarming is that MSU's cornerbacks and safeties appear to be in total disarray. Often, they are not anywhere near receivers who catch the ball, and on too many occasions, they give up long touchdown passes to wide open receivers. The defense can't get off the field, and the offense can't stay on the field.

Too many three-and-outs by the offense means the defense spends far more time on the field and gets dog tired by the third quarter. At least if the offense is potent, as in 2021, it can keep the defense off the field, allowing defenders to take some breaks so that when they are in the game, they still have the necessary stamina and energy to perform at optimum level.

Even when MSU had bad or mediocre teams (maybe 85-90 percent of the time between the early 1970s and 2010), I don't recall ever seeing such a pathetic secondary. Coach Tucker built his reputation as a defensive coach. He played defensive back for the Wisconsin Badgers 30 years ago and served in several high profile defensive coaching and coordinator positions in both the NFL and college football. For months, Tucker has been engaged in hands-on teaching of MSU's defensive backs, yet they have failed repeatedly. It may be a combination of inexperience and limited talent, or perhaps there are just too many guys who are not accustomed to playing with each other, and their communication / coordination will improve.

The timing couldn't be worse for Tucker, who signed a massive $95 million, 10-year contract with MSU last year (two billionaire MSU alumni, Mat Ishbia and Steve St. Andre, ponied up to pay the lion's share of the money). Many fans are unreasonably thinking that simply because Tucker makes big money, he can walk on water. Last year things really fell into place, with the Spartans getting many lucky bounces to win numerous close games, and of course being the beneficiaries of a diamond-in-the-rough -- running back Kenneth Walker III.

This year, many of the talented players from 2021 are long gone, and most of the players were recruited by Dantonio, who practically sleep-walked through his last three seasons with the Spartans and appeared to be beaten down by scandals and bad publicity swirling around the university as a result of the Dr. Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal.

Some fans are also calling for Tucker to fire his defensive coordinator, Scottie Hazelton. But as longtime Lansing sportscaster Tim Staudt remarked recently on his radio show, coaching is based on relationships. Simply firing one guy and trying to plug in a different coach -- regardless of how well regarded the new guy may be -- often doesn't work when the head coach and new assistant have no previous working relationship. Trust and confidence in one another, as well as a history of working together, are key to a great coaching staff.

There are no quick fixes for the Spartans, who might also be sub-par in 2023 (or perhaps .500 at best). But based on Tucker's excellent recruiting so far, and the fact his players seem to keep their heads up and avoid low morale, it's just a matter of time until Tucker turns things around.

I would be satisfied if the Spartans lost 30-10 or even 42-14 today. What I don't want to see, and what is unlikely to happen because OSU Coach Day has no animosity toward Tucker or the Spartans, is a 70-0 beatdown.

Now, who knows what will happen three weeks from today when the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor to play the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines. MSU beat U-M in 2020 and 2021, so revenge will definitely be on the minds of the Michigan players. That game could get ugly fast. In 2019, U-M beat MSU 44-10 in Ann Arbor. This year could be worse, but maybe not if MSU's young players can grow up fast.

On the positive side, MSU's basketball team is practicing and will start playing games for real in a month. Lots of talent on the squad, including some new players and veteran players that head Coach Tom Izzo said have improved greatly over the summer. Time will tell.

Meantime, bread and circuses, though not registering as high on the scale as during more normal times, still are an important diversion during these stressful days.

Good News / Bad News

First the good news...There have been a couple of more encouraging developments in recent days that involve court rulings.... (I'll take whatever I can get during these dispiriting times.)

The self-serving narcissist and election denier Stacey Abrams, a Democrat candidate for the Georgia Governor's Office, has been slapped down by, believe it or not, an Obama-appointed judge.

The haughty Abrams and her band of leftist rifraff -- "Fair Fight Action" -- sued to overturn Georgia's election integrity law (the one Slow Joe Biden called "Jim Crowe 2.0"), but Judge Steve C. Jones ruled he found no constitutional violations in the law.

"Although Georgia's election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the Voting Rights Act," Judge Jones wrote in his decision. 

Hooray! Kudos to Judge Jones. It appears there is at least a little bit of rationality and fairness on the left.

Another court ruling that should reveal some interesting findings is one by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant ordering the U.S. government to turn over any and all information pertaining to the laptop of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer who was shot dead near his home in Northeast Washington, D.C., in 2016.

Loyola University Prof. Brian Huddleston had submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI seeking details on the Seth Richards investigation. Richards' death was highly suspicious because he is believed to have been the source of leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee that exposed Russian involvement with the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign team's efforts to smear Donald Trump. 

Police claim Rich was a robbery victim, but Rich's expensive watch and wallet were not taken. His alleged involvement in leaking the emails to Julian Assange of Wikileaks is suspected to have led to his demise, although the mainstream media has bent over backwards to ridicule this belief as a "conspiracy theory." (Yeah, like Hunter Biden's laptop was "Russian disinformation"??? Okay, got it.)

Let's just see where this leads. The FBI has been evasive and cagey for years, and fought the FOIA request tooth-and-nail. Wonder why? We already know that reprobate Hillary is a thoroughly corrupt liar and crook; it would be helpful if the FBI's rot were further exposed.

And now for the inevitable bad news (You just KNEW there had to be some, right?)...

In another example of why tens of millions of Americans hold Congress in contempt and have utter disgust for what goes on inside the Beltway cesspool, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will be larding up any aid bills for Florida hurricane victims with a grab bag of progressive goodies (including the ubiquitous "green" subsidies that line the pockets of Democrat cronies and/or pay for boondoggle projects).

Many on the left are demonizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis because as a congressman in 2013, he voted against a pork-laden relief bill for New York and New Jersey following the destruction of Superstorm Sandy. Now, he's seeking support for Florida relief.

The pork garbage would be bad enough on its own. But it comes following nearly two years of obscene spending by lunatic Democrats who are showering money on pie-in-the-sky "green" programs (in large part to line the pockets of their supporters and cronies while also funding pet projects). This reckless spending has been the root of runaway inflation that is hurting millions of poor and middle class people.

The self-serving cretins of the D.C. swamp will stop at nothing to feed their sociopathic behavior. As Orange Julius would say, "SAD!"

"So it goes," as Kurt Vonnegut wrote all those years ago.