Turn out the lights - their Party's about over

 Pres. Trump    -       V- Pres. Vance    -       Speaker Johnson

The Magnificient Morons

Ever since I can remember, I was taught that all Americans should honor and respect our nation's top leaders. They were elected to lead our country in war and peace. Those who were selected to assist them them were also to be honored and respected as they carried out their tasks.

However, we are finding out there are execeptions. The MAGA Republican political cult has changed the rules. We are to only honor, believe and respect  what they tell us is the truth.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

(George Orwell - "1984"

The three "leaders" pictured above are absolutely and unequivocally telling us to heed only their words, for it is there where we will find the truth. 

I believe we can all agree that the truth was displayed much clearer on June 16, 2025 during and after the "small skimpy street stroll by supporters" of the president. As to the voices of protesters, their efforts gave a convincing picture of what is happening in our country!

I don't believe I'm "guilding the lily" too much when I say the entire day was an absolute disaster for the "birthday boy." The protests in all fifty states told the Administration that they are completely on the wrong track.

These three charlatans have lived their best days and it's down hill from here to the end of their political careers. 

Turpe inter opus

Shameful in the midst of work   -Latin

There will be a place for the richest

Montanans

 Were You Aware?

250  MILLION  ACRES 

OF  PUBLIC  LAND

    WILL  BE   FOR  SALE IN THE NATION 

BY  THE REPUBLICAN  CONGRESS

IN  TRUMP'S  BIG  BEAUTIFUL  BILL

The exact number of acres of publc  land that will be for sale in the "Big Beautiful Bill" is not explicitly stated, but the bill proposes selling of a significant amount of public land, potentially over 250 million acres. The bill would force the sale of at least 2 million acres of Forest Service and BLM lands in 11 Western states over the next five years, with the potential for much more.

How many would be sold in Montana?  Well, Senators Daines and Sheehy have "crossed-their-little-MAGA-black-hearts-and-hope-to-die" promised that they got a special deal with "those in authority" that no land will be sold in Monetana."

That's their word now. What their word will be if the bill is passed is another matter. We've been down this MAGA road before, haven't we? I'm not saying we can't trust them. I'm just saying the rules today have nothing to do with what those rascal Republicans will write up for rules tomorrow!

There was added - in very small print - that the money from the sale of 250 million acres will help pay for the trillions of dollars needed for tax cuts for the rich!

Don't we live in a happy state where we can give up our most beautiful spots in order to assure that we will not let a richy-rich go without having another yacht, a sprawling new home in the midst of Montana's forest, lakes and mountains?

We are such accomadating - and stupid -  folks out West!

Social Media can tear our nation apart!

Confessions of a Blogger

I retired as a daily newspaper publisher in 2000, forty-years as a political cartoonists, and I have been a political blogger since 2000. That is a lot of politics! It's been in my blood since John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963!

Today, I have been listening to stories of people who are bitterly opposed to bloggers and opinionated social media junkies who spew their political venom at the touch  of a "send" button. 

And then we listen to the tragedy that has happened to a lawmaker and spouse who were shot dead  in Minnesota by a man who was so filled with hate that he had a long list of others in the victim's political party he had planned to also kill.

This, evidently, is the "preferred-next step up" from actually voting against the opposition party. What have we become, people? 

I confess. . . while I've considered the possibility of writing a blog and pushing the next kook over the edge, I'm going to sit down with myself and have a good talk. This ain't the good old days of the good old newspaper and television news anymore! Social Media seems to be a much quicker and more direct way than waiting for an election!

 

Social Media: needing companionship and therefore best suited to living - electronically -  in comunities of other social "friends" like Facebook over 3 billion users, YouWube with 2.5 billion users, and  Instagram and WhatsApp with 2 billion users. Others include  WeChat and platforms within the Meta family, like Messenger.

Let's talk about the makeup of a person who is social. They like to be around or in the same atmosphere of people. For examople, a social butterfly is someone who is social or friendly with everyone, flitting from person to person, the way a butterfly might. The word social comes from the Latin socius meaning "friend." When you're being social, you're everyone's friend. That makes "social media" the perfect game for you!

Thus, if you want to be involved with the social media, you will want to be "sociable" with as many "friends" as possible. It can be a sign of great importance to you if your number of "friends" are greater. To go one step further, it is paramount if your goal is of political importance. If you belive you can influence a "friend's" thinking, politically, you must have as many friends as possible. 

So, what are you thinking about when you finally hit that "friend accepted" key and it turns out to be the one who will ring your door bell at around three a.m., and shoot you before you even know why?

Don't try to figure it all out. It's been figured out a few years ago. You, I and others just chose not to accept it. . . yet. 

Social Media has the ability to help us tear our nation apart - and the social media platforms - like those listed above - are counting on it!

Sit Down, Shut Up, and Learn

Mr. President - Have You No Decency?

In 1954, one pivotal question was posed by Joseph Welch, special counsel for the U.S. Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings. McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) had long argued that the U.S. Army (and much of our government) was awash with communists.

Welch, exhausted and frustrated, asked Senator Joseph McCarthy  "Have you no sense of decenty, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of dedency?" No sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

The question, asked live on national television, exposed McCarthy as a reckless bully and helped to discredit him. It was considered a major turning point in the McCarthy era and marked the beginning of the end for McCarthy's power and influence. McCarthy was later censured by the Senate and died in 1957, a broken man.

Perhaps, if our congressional politicians could muster enough courage to be as direct and to the point with our president, we could solve this "unspeakable" criticism of the president and his bullyish attitute, we could get to the core of problems and resolve this constant fighting. Ironically, Trump has a problem that is very similar to what plagued McCarthy. He was a bully, a headstrong politician who thought he was always right, and a man who thought he was the only one who could fix it!

America needs someone like Joseph Welch to stand up to the president. After all, Trump isn't a man with power and authority that is held only unto himself!

Do we have someone who can - and will - sit him down and explain to him just how far his authority really goes?

It sounds like an easy job for congress, but for some reason, it hasn't worked yet. 

The "dog killer" shows her Power

  MAGA-GENERATED  ASSAULT 

 

Senator Alex Padilla, D-Caifornia was man-handled and handcuffed today and forcibly removed as he attempted to ask a question at a press conference held by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, in Los Angeles on Thursday. The incident has shocked Padilla's senate colleagues from the Capitol Hill to California...to the world!

If forcible taking  a U.S. Senator to the floor, handcuffing him. and then forcibly removing him from the room is how Trump and his thugs are operating, we must finally admit we are now living in a "Third World, lawless country of thugs" who  are completely out of control!

Kristi Noem and the president have evidently authorized ICE to arrest, and manhandle anyone, anytime, and anywhere. Noem followed up her meeting by saying, "he did not identify himself." That was proven false by a video and sound that was immediately shown on MSNBC and other television media. There was ample criticism of Noem's confirmation of her job and she is fast proving her criticswere right!

Senator Padilla kept his cool and let the issue play itself out.

This assault will not end anytime soon!

A Pompous Blowhard

 TRUMP  REVEALED

An American Traitor of Illegal Ambition, Outrageous Ego, and a Gigantic thirst for Money and Power.

The one who thinks of himself as the most important will always fall the hardest!

Donald Trump Biographer Michael D'Antonio observed that prior to his 2016 campaign, Trump was widely known by the American public and media establishment, and was already the focus of many books describing his life as a businessman, media personality, and politician. (He never ran for public office prior to the 2016 election, however.) That made him a media personality and businessman. His "greatness" as a business genius is highly questionable, with six bankruptcies. That leaves his "greatness" as a media personality. If known mostly for dating(?) attractive women makes you a media pesonality, then so be it. 

His book, The Art of the Deal, gave readers the idea he was a great and successful businessman. If he was constantly charged with not paying workers and contractors, bank loans, etc., makes you "great" then so be it. If constant swindling of busines deals, then so be it. However, for me - a guy who pays his bills will always get my vote for "greatest businessman!"

When we get right  down to it, this guy hasn't been the greatest at anything!  

And being the "greatest" at the presidency. . . well, don't even get me started!

I could write his biography on less than half of one page: "This guy is a blowhard!"

The Crossing of Our Rubicon

 

"Crossing the Rubicon" is an idiom that means making an irreversible decision or passing a point of no return. It originates from the historical event of Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon River with his army in 49 BC. This act, which was against Roman law, marked the beginning of a civil war and irrevocably changed the course of Roman history."

The course of action that the Trump admiistration  has taken since day one of this term of office  will now be known as our American Rubicon. We have allowed Trump to shape a new and deadly government of insurrectionists who will oblige him at his every command. The entire administration - plus like-minded MAGA cult members from coast to coast and border to borde - will follow his orders as they turn away from our democracy and  pledge their allegiance to Trump. 

We are now, for all intents and purposes, a country of nearly-full fledged authoritarians and/or members of a dictatorship, which will give the world another "Banana Republic."

What has happened today in Los Angeles was seen and heard as the defining moment of the "new" Fascist Trump Administration. They have turned their back on democracy.

I ask you to watch and listen to not just what happened today, but to what it will all foretell of our future - and the death of the world's greatest democracy that was ever known!

It was important to learn what transpired today, but it is much more important to learn what it means for the future of our nation.

Are we in a Demolition Derby?

 On February, 2017, Steve Bannon was asked to speak at a CPAC cult get together and "float" the ideas from Trump and himself about the radical changes the early days of MAGA ruling  would bring to America.

Bannon labeled the beginning of the diabolically idiotic, evil, asisine,   and totally  unthinkable  plan (and in his own words) the "first the deconstruction of Washington!"

Trump and his horde were only successful in getting the blueprint for the deconstruction of our government and the start of a totally new and authoritarian form of monarchy. It would be nice if we could say it will be a "people-generated" idea, but it isn't. It comes from the sub-standard brains of a handful of GOPers who want "only what they want and nothing else!"

"Deconstruction" will preceed "building a dictatorship" for the oligarchs, billionaires, and millionaires of America. Good for you if you are one of them - bad for you if you ain't.

As Trump finishea hia first 100 days of his second term of office, he and his minions have made a good deal of progress. We can see these treasonists making deep roads into overturning our democracy. The "deconstruction" phase is doing well. Several important departments of our government have been axed already, with more on the chopping chop, and more yet to go away and  Federal workers  losing their jobs with more yet to go.

Our rights are being stripped from us by the president and others who he has given authority. 

Our country is going through hell and to make it  worse - we are just sitting here and contemplating the lint in our belly butons. Did our rule of law, constitution, and democracy sneak out the back door?

And I thought Americans were fighters!

Elephants and Unicorns

There is an Elephant in the Room

HIS  TAKEOVER  HAS  BEGUN

We are waking up to what Germany once woke up to many years ago: 1/3 of the people are willing to kill another 1/3 of the people, while another 1/3 of the people watch. The difference is we still have time to do something about it. Germany evidently didn't.

Here in America, there is a large elephant in the room. He appears to most of us to be indestructible, and for some unfathomable reason, we can't get rid of him . We knew he was bad news from the beginning, we watched him become even worse, and now he is attempting to finish off what he has planned for all along:   His very own authoritarian country!

That is the goal of this "elephant" and those who will work with him to achieve it. Even as he had enjoyed the fruits of democracy, it evidently did not give him the "personal power and money" he craves.

Sadly, we are creeping toward a resolution to the problem -  whether good or bad - and there is no certainty how it will go or how many will fight on his side. It is a terrifying possibility for many of us who value our current government. And  there is a disturbing number of people who have been mesmerized by this charlatan who preaches "happpy days and dancing in the streets" under promises of his dictatorship."

. . . and I will be handing out one-thousand dollar bills and new wide-screen televisions to everyone!

Trump's Stormtroopers are on parade. . .

 The Rule of Law is not on his side, 

but scaring the bejeezus out of them must still be legal!

  If you go down in L.A. today, You're sure of a big surprise.

If you go down in L.A. today, 

You'd better go in disguise.

For every MAGA that ever there was

is gathering there for certain because

Today's the day MAGA is having their rally!

If you're watching your television about now, you must be closing your eyes and calling up January 6, 2021. The same president who refused to call for national guard to put down an insurrection of our nation's capitol, sent two thousand national guardsmen to California. There was no insurrection, no armed thugs who wanted to overthrow a national election, no injuries or deaths and no destruction of the capitol building. Just a ploy by the president to shake up California and its governor!

California's problem the past three days was engineered by the same president who sat back in his lunch room and threw catsup at the wall and REFUSED TO SEND ANYONE TO HELP!

What's the difference, you ask?  Trump is trying to use his age-old game of disrupt and deceive. He is covering up a mess he's in by getting us thinking about another mess of his doing. 

There was no good reason for him to send those national guardsmen to California, and he knows it.

Suddenly a few thousand big thugs in masks and nothing to identify who the hell they are, begin gathering up people they have no legal reason to arrest - and start dragging them off to the "holding pens." 

Meanwhile, it is reported that Trump is at Camp David while the MAGA Stormtroopers are looking for illegal aliens to round up and toss in the slammer. It must all create a good laught for the folks back at Camp David.

Just another beautiful day to scare the hell out of our citizenry.

The Daydreamin' Fuhrer

TRUMP'S  STURMABTEILUNG

(Trump's MAGA Stormtroopers)

The Sturmabteilung was the original paramilitary organization under Donald Trump and the MAGA Party of America. It played a significant role in Trump's rise to power. It's primary purposes were providing protection for the MAGA rallies and other assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, and fighting against the opposing parties -  especially the Democrat party - and frightening the hell out of the citizens of the United States of America! 

Pictured above, the entire family of' Troopers  are posed and nattily dressed for their family outing and go-to-Donnie's-rally evening. 

The Sturmabteilung (SA) were sometimes called "Fake GOP Stooges, Suckers and Losers."

Today, Trump is mired in continuous name-calling and border disputes with various countries he has decided he wants to buy and countries he wants to take by force.

He is constantly in flux about how much money each country owes him through his own unique and personal assessment of the percentage their tariff should be. 

His favorite words for how he feels about universities would be "Verdammit Hochschulen!" Trump is often heard to yell out "Verdammit Biden!" on occasion, also.

Donald Trump is a complex man. He is a man who wants to be an American Fuhrer - but can only manage to be an American "furor" - causing considerable outbreaks of public anger!

Auf Wiedersehen and viel Gluck, Donald!

The Rabbit Hole of Insanity

We are currently struggling under a grotesque version of a authoritarian dictatorship that has employed OVER THIRTY PEOPLE who used to work for a TV Station named FOX that was recently fined $787MILLION for lying to its viewers.

This is not only incredible to comprehend, but it is disastrous to our nation. The psycological liars who make up the current presidential administration did not need any extra help to lie to the American people. They were doing just fine on their own, thank you!

How did we reach this point in our communications with our citizens. I spent more than 32 years in the newspaper industry and one of  my biggest concerns was to tell our readers the truth or suffer the libel law attorneys. Today, the Republicans who railed against newspapers as the  purveyors of lies and conspiracy theories will tell our readers they can always trust the social media, scandal sheets, and FOX "news."

That can not be further from the truth.

Readers will be directed to places like FOX because they have been charged (and convicted) so many times that their lies are a laughable joke - and yet many still accept them as credible.

If you watch and listen to FOX, you've accepted the entrance to the  "rabbit hole of insanity."

AG Bondi's Retribution Time. . .

Attorney (hee hee)  Gen. . .(hee hee) General (Haw! Haw!) Pam Bondi quickly stepped to the podium and began reading a special bulletin press release. . . It was Bondi's retribution time!

"NA-NAA-NA-NAA-NA-NAA-NA-NAA-NA-NAA-NA-NAA-"

She was mocking the press, the Democrats, the previous president. his staff, the previous FBI director. . .  and she began naming every single person in the United States who did not vote for Donald Trump. It was her time to shine!

She tried to tell all of those present that Abrego Garcia was a bad, bad man. Everyone told her she made a mistake when she deported him, but she knew he was a terrible, nasty, man. He was deported but she got him back to stand trial here in America for horrible, nasty crimes. I was right. He should have been deported. I was right!  I knew I was right, dammit!

Reporter:  "When did you find all of those charges against him?

Bondi:  "Well, we dug deep and found them - recently.  

Reporter: You mean right after the whole country proved you and Trump made a mistake deporting Garcia?

Bondi: The Biden bunch should have done it. Everyone working for Biden just let Garcie get away with it, but Donald Trump and me took care of business and that terrible man, Garcia, is gonna' spend a long time in prison - or worse! I was right. He needed to be deported. Now that we've dug up something on him, we're bringing him back here for trial. We did a good and just job. Biden didn't, but Donald Trump and me did a good job. Yes sir!"

Bondi: "No more questions."

Bondi: "You can all go home now"

Bondi:  "Bye."

All of the reporters stood silent and frozen in place - What the hell just happened here?

(Some of the quotes were misquoted but the intent was there.)

The REAL Green Bay Packer Backer

 TOBY  

A  LOYAL  GREEN  BAY  PACKER  FOREVER

The most personable little Bichon Frise anyone ever met left us in 2024 and scampered across the "Rainbow Bridge." He was my Green Bay Packer Backer Buddy and never missed a TV game. 

You probably saw his picture in every one of my Facebook posts and rants about "the Pack" every week. 

His photo and name will still be there every week this year, too!  Toby and his Green Bay stuffed fuzzy  football  has been a must at game time! 

Toby was a "Packer Backer" for about ten years. 

Watching the games this year just isn't going to be the same.

Besides, their boss doesn't read, anyway

The Big Beautiful  (Unread) Bill

The buzz going around the U.S. House Floor went something like this:  "I don't gotta' read no damn bill!  If a Republican wrote it, me and all the other Republicans  had damn well better vote for it! "

And dat's da name of dat' tune!

Republicans trust each other to never lie. If the boss says the bill is rock solid and da' American people is gonna' love it to death, you can take it to the bank. Who does youse guys think we are, Democrats?

We ain't never lied to a brother or sister 'publican. Maybe we fibbed a little to Libs and voters, but we ain't every told a fib to a gamer.

Let's get on with this vote in the senate so we can start carving the big juicy fat off of the Medicaid. Time's a-wastin' and our rich folks are anxious for those big tax cuts we promised them! 

Jeeez. . . read the bill?  That's a good one. Next, they'll be wanting us to go to our constituents and explain it all to them - and how much it really gonna' cost 'em. . . and how much it's really gonna' give the rich!

"A fine kettle of fish we've gotten ourselves into"

Vice-President JD Vance

(The title is a well-known catchphrase associated with Laurel and Hardy)

In 2016, JD Vance said, "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon . . . or that he's America's Hitler."

That was the current American Vice-President speaking -  and a man whom the current President gA considered to be  a very close advisor. 

The question arises: Is Donald Trump a Fascist? 

Since he has never come right out and admitted it, I certainly can't write it, but as my grandmother said several times, "A man is judged by the company he keeps."

Steve Bannon and Elon Musk have both been close friends and advisors to Trump.  During a CPAC Convention, Musk ended his speech  by extending his right arm with the hand flat to duplicate the Nazi or Fascist salute. On another occasion, Bannon was also photographed pounding his left chest with his right fist - a Fascist salute.

After Trump called for a Muslim travel ban in late 2015, he was described as a Fascist by Democrats and Republicans, including Conservative activists Max Boot and others who compared Trump's travel ban to what Hitler would have done. Boot called him a very "dangerous" man. Virginia Republican Governor Jim Gilmore said he feared Trump's "deportation force" as "fascist talk."

Maybe it's time authorities dig a bit deeper into just who this Trump guy is and how much should we be in fear of him.  That is, we do still fear Fascists, don't we?

Gawd, I couldn't live like that

 WHATEVER  HAPPENED  TO  THE  GOP?

The Grand Old Party was founded in 1854 and enjoyed many years of successfully controlling the political dynamics of the United Statesl of America. They enjoyed twenty-four times of successfully winning the White House. 

Then, one dark and rainy night, a street tough and his thugs from  Gotham City busted down the doors of the Republican Headquarters, changed all visible names from Republican to MAGA, and has changed everything else in sight - except their dirty shorts - ever since!

MAGA came in like the anti-Christ of politics and has steadily gotten worse. If it was the American democracy way to do things, it was changed to "what-would-the-devil-do-if-he-was-in-charge?"

And sure enough, the devil walked through the door and nothing has been the same since. No Mr. Nice Guy Republican, no Rule of Law, no Constitution, and no democracy. The devil stood at his podium and  bellowed in a deep roar, "It's authoritarian/dictator time, and the first drink is on me!"

But seriously, how did this conversion really happen?  How did he convert so many, so fast, to his Cult? Or, maybe the better question to ask would be, "Why did so many drop face down into a prone position and offer their body and soul to the devil who demanded he be called "The Magnificient MAGA Monarch!"

To this day, the last vestiges of the Republicans have become proficient in only a few things:  Kneeling, bowing, noding yes, and waiting for commands from the "Magnificient one."

God, I couldn't live like that.

DOGE. . . Just What the hell Hit Us?

It has cost the United States of America billions for Trump to let Elon Musk tinker with the idea of cutting Billions in so-called waste. The result of which cost more than it found to cut. Billions more!

It also cost upheavel and fear in federal workers who were violently thrown out of work. Americans wondered what was happening. Security of our top-level government departments were exposed to people no one even knew. Federal workers were unsure of their jobs from day to day. The entire work force reduced to being on pins and needles from day to day.

Personnel were ordered out of their offices by strangers (who were assumed to be workers for Elon Musk) and unable to know why. It was pure hell and had all the trappings of a take-over by a foreign power.

Musk, and other suspicious people, ran the federal workers out of their offices and secured the doors. They could be then seen opening computers and running data. 

Think about this for a minute. There has never been such a forced security breach in the history of America! 

And what is our president doing all of this?  Not a damn thing! Is this take-over under his orders?  Is he the one who hired this Musk guy? What the hell is going on? Hundreds of thousands of workers are given fifteen minutes to clear out of their office.

This is a nightmare! Again, what the hell is going on?

It is guaranteed that this operation will be reported and written about for decades to come.  Trump will go down in history as the one president who was either corrupt enough - or stupid enough - to pull off such a colossal blunder! 

All of the details are yet to be learned. The total cost of the horrendous and corrupt-filled ploy may never be fulled known. Meanwhile, our "secure data" is God=knows where!

It was the work of a man who was going to show America how he could bring our costs in line. In truth, it is estimated he added trillions to our country's debt.

Did he have a different goal in mind? Did he have a grand plan to sell the secret data he learned from those computers to our foreign adversaries? Or, should we give him the benefit of the doubt and just say he didn't know what the hell he was doing?

Whatever the answer, electing this joker to be our president was the worst thing that has ever been done to our nation!

Lastly, is anyone really looking into this nightmare?

Miss Snarky Senator

=                              

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa made a serious misstep last week when she was trying to defend Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" to a question from the audience about the huge cut Medicaid would get. The question was, "With that cut, it could cost your fellow Iowans health care  - even their lives!"  Ernst replied, "Well, we're all going to die."

We're sure the questioner meant a more comfortable death, like maybe a long life in a rest home, or food on their table at home, friends and family around, shelter from the harsh weather outside. . . you get the picture.

So. . . everybody was waiting for Ernst's "walk-back" on the stupid mistake. It came today and it was actually worse than her original words.

She glared at the camera, put on her best possible face of Republican snarkism, lowered her gaze into the camera, and said. . .

  "I falsely assumed everyone in attendance knew we were all going to one day meet our demise.  I'm just glad they didn't ask me to explain the "tooth fairy" to them. 

That, my friends, is the quintessential example of "Republican "Snarkism" to the voters  - in this case many in attendance were her voters!

You can always tell a Republican - but you can't tell 'em much!

Stay tuned.  Li'l Miss Snarky may want to do one more "walk-back". . .or maybe just give up and leave "bad enough" alone.

I'll bet she's thinkin' about it, though.