Friday, April 17, 2026

Crying “WOLF!”

And how do they choose the polling place? And when? Election Day? During early voting? Which polling place? What effect would it likely have? Are we talking about every polling place in a state? In a city? Which city? A small one? More reasonable, but also more likely GOP voters. A large city? Even in Texas, the large cities are more Democratic than GOP. 

Now where? A presumptively Democratic precinct? Trying to affect what race? Senate? House? And do what? Maybe throw a House district into chaos. Yeah, that helps. Screw with a Senate race? How? Whatever it is, it just throws that race, no…those races…into court. In Texas, that might affect as many as 100 races, only two of them federal. I’m guessing eventually the courts decide the seizure was invalid, and allows the ballots to be counted. But how many are we talking about? Depends on the turnout and the day, in any state with early voting. You’ll need a pretext and a prepared group ready to go to a certain place. And then seize? How many votes?

Or do they seize ballots after the election? I’ve got a big picture of that.  I mean , DOJ may ask for them; but only the courts can overturn election results. And they aren’t going to do that lightly. They aren’t even likely to. Trump tried 60 times to get the courts to do it for him. He’s not gonna do it for Congress.

What was the point of this, again? And Trump is going to do this for the sake of who? 435 House races and 33 Senate seats (or is it 34 this year?). Across 50 states, with the most populous having thousands of polling locations. And Trump is going to fuck with even 50 of them? (1 per state, for argument’s sake. Or does he concentrate on California? And leave Paxton or Cornyn to face Talarico?) Where does he put this extraordinary effort, and what hope does he have of saving Congress for the GOP?

I know what he did on January 11, and I know what it did for his first reelection attempt. I also know he took ballots in Georgia because he’s going to relitigate 2020 forever. And somehow he thinks the ballots from that county will prove he really won. But does he care that much about 468 (or 469) Congressional races? And can he do anything about them?

What do you think?

ADDING:

 I mean, it’s going like this:
The Trump DOJ’s latest blunder came one day after it asked a federal court for permission to fix what judges across the country have already called a fatal defect in its voter roll demands: failing to explain why it needed the data in the first place," said the report. "But instead of waiting, DOJ rushed to file a new 'additional basis' for its demand — and fumbled the rollout."
2020 all over again. And when they get the voter rolls, they still have to use them in court.
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Wait A Minute….

How many convicted criminals has Trump pardoned? I want to say the number’s in the thousands.

Every accusation is a confession.
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The Man Who Is…. 🐋 🦝

...forever connected in the public mind with a whale carcass and a raccoon penis.
LEE: Your agency told programs to remove 200 words from their funding applications including the word "Black." Do you have an idea how we can solve the black maternal health crisis if we cannot say "Black"?

RFK JR: DEI divided and polarized people.

LEE: We’re talking about healthcare.

RFK JR: We’re talking about DEI. Do you think the federal government should be paying for DEI?

LEE: I think the federal government has a vested interest in ensuring citizens survive childbirth.  

RFK JR: We are meeting that obligation.

LEE: We are not
Sickle Cell anemia. ‘S all I’m sayin’… 🤦‍♂️ How convenient. The same people who can’t claim social security (but pay it), can get Obamacare? 🐂 💩
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Grandpa Didn’t Get Any Sleep Last Night

Trump: "The U.S.A. will get all Nuclear 'Dust,' created by our great B2 Bombers - No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form. This deal is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah situation in an appropriate manner. Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!! Thank you! President DJT"
Isn’t it anti-Semitic if Trump tells Israel what it can’t do?
He got the Strait closed, disrupted the entire global economy, exploded gas prices, wrecked our alliances, killed thousands of innocent people including young girls at a school, depleted American missile stockpiles, degraded our Middle East military bases, and destroyed America’s global standing only to get the Strait reopened on Iran’s terms and potentially give them $20 billion. The art of the deal!
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Don’t Make Us Laugh 😂

Bannon went on to say the anti-Sharia position won on the ballot in Texas. He failed to clarify that was on the GOP primary ballot, not a general ballot. It was just a sort of “poll,” meaning nothing. And besides, more Democrats voted in the primary than Republicans.

And Democrats didn’t have that nonsense on their ballot.

Dan Patrick is already freaking out that Democrats might regain control of the Legislature this year. Despite what Bannon thinks, the fear of Sharia law is a laughing matter in Texas.
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So Much Winning! 🤷‍♂️

An agreement we had with Iran in 2015, until Trump refused to abide by it in 2018. Iran officially declared they were no longer following it in April, 2025, when it expired by its own terms.

Trump is also agreeing to release sanctioned funds to Iran, something he still excoriates Obama for doing in 2018.

But Obama didn’t bomb a girls school, deplete our missile stocks by at least half, put our allies in the region housing our military bases in harm’s way, and cost us several billion dollars in military expenses. Not to mention the ongoing damage to the world economy, and our international standing.


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They Understand How This Works, Right? 🤷‍♂️

As I watched it I couldn’t help but think of another movie: Anchorman, with Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, the man who would read anything put on the teleprompter. Sort of like this: (Which is...? Reopen the Strait that Trump closed by attacking Iran, and lower the price of gas Trump raised by…attacking Iran?) Jordan understands how politics in America works, right?
Trump: "It’s easy! Tucker is a Low IQ person - Always easy to beat, and highly overrated!!! So are Megyn Kelly, 'Candace'(Really Dumb and mentally ill!), and Bankrupt Alex Jones, who is completely 'fried.' There are others, also! Then we have some that are VERY GOOD, true MAGA all the way, and smart. I should do a list of good, bad, and somewhere in the middle. Wouldn’t that be fascinating??? President DJT"
Trump understands none of those people are running for elective office, right? Well, yeah, of course. (And the Pope is anti-Xian. 🤦‍♂️ Sen. Sanders is Jewish.)
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Thursday, April 16, 2026

🐂💩

 Now they done pissed me off:

 "Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction," Parnell wrote.

"However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service," he added. "Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality."
Ezekiel 25:
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, 4 therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, 7 therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

8 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” 9 therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill both man and beast. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will wipe out the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.’”
(NIV. Not my first choice of translations, but easy to copy online.)

And here’s the “prayer” again:
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children,” Hegseth said, according to the report.
Nothing in Ezekiel 25 about shepherds or valleys or children or being a brother’s keeper. That last is ironic; it echoes the cry of Cain trying to dodge responsibility for killing his brother, Abel (“Am I my brother’s keeper?”). The shepherd image shows up in the gospels, but the most familiar reference is the 23rd Psalm. Which Ezekiel doesn’t reference, any more than he references Cain. “Valley of darkness” sounds like the 23rd, too. It sounds nothing like Ezekiel 25.

God is pronouncing judgement on the nations that danced on Israel’s grave after the fall of Jerusalem and the Exile into Babylon. As Walker Percy once asked: where are the Moabites now? Or the Philistines, the Edomites, the Ammonites? This is God bracing up Israel for what it has been through. Is it kindly? No. Is it of a piece with Samuel L. Jackson’s character’s use of it in “Pulp Fiction”? Also: no.

I’m not here to exegete this chapter and place it in the context of the book of Ezekiel, or the history of the Exile. I highlighted the last “prophecy” because v. 17 is clearly a summing up of the chapter. And nothing in that chapter is a prayer.

I’m just here to say Hegseth and his PR toady are full of shit. They quoted a “prayer” (I’d never call it that) from a movie that Tarantino took from a Japanese movie. Yeah, deeply grounded in the words of Ezekiel. Tarantino added the verse to make his version sound Biblical. Because he knew it wasn’t.

“Reflects” Ezekiel 25:17?  🐂 💩 
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Always Fight About The Thing They Didn’t Say

Obama stopped Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump tore that agreement up. 

He then “obliterated” (his word) Iran’s ability to make a nuclear weapon. Then, about two weeks after attacking Iran, he started talking about doing it to prevent Iran making a nuclear weapon. It been an off a on claim ever since. He’s never presented any evidence Iran can’t make a nuclear weapon now, and in fact has included that agreement by Iran as a requirement of any ceasefire agreement. (He’s not negotiating a surrender, just a ceasefire.)

The Pope has never mentioned nuclear weapons in his recent comments about war. He has, however, spoken on the subject before:
In a March 5 video message, Leo said: "Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy. … Lord, enlighten the leaders of the nations, so they may have the courage to abandon projects of death, halt the arms race, and place the lives of the most vulnerable at the center. May the nuclear threat never again dictate the future of humanity."

On March 8, Leo's X account posted about the Iran war's expansion, encouraging people to pray "for the roar of bombs to cease, weapons to fall silent, and space to open for dialogue, in which people's voices may be heard."

In June 2025, the pope called for a world free from nuclear threat and appealed for peace between Iran and Israel.

"The commitment to creating a safer world, free from the nuclear threat, should be pursued through respectful encounter and sincere dialogue, to build a lasting peace, based on justice, fraternity and the common good," Leo said. "No-one should ever threaten the existence of another."

Also in June 2025, during a general audience in St. Peter's Square, Leo said, "We must never get used to war! Indeed, the temptation to have recourse to powerful and sophisticated weapons needs to be rejected."
As the Pope said on Monday:
"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among states to find just solutions to problems," he said. "Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."
Trump has been talking about nuclear weapons ever since, as if it’s a magic charm against the Pontiff’s statements. Pope Leo also said:
"I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel...."
So Trump has to try, try again to make the conversation about the scariest thing he can think of. Because the message of the gospel, as pronounced by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, seems to be something Trump can’t grapple with.

Then again, Trump doesn’t understand the whole concept of “government.”
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Leaderlyship

Well, Yup:
“I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be,” the bizarre journal entry reads, according to the Post.

In the passage, Kennedy was mourning his tumultuous relationships with his brother, Douglas Kennedy, and cousin, Bobby Shriver.

“My kids waited patiently in the car,” Kennedy wrote.

He later told People magazine that he took the raccoon’s genitals so he could “study them later,” according to the new book.
It all starts at the top.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has stated that following today’s announced ceasefire, he will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House for the “first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.”
Israeli government ministers were “outraged” by today’s announced ceasefire with Lebanon, which was revealed on TruthSocial by U.S. President Donald J. Trump who gave Israel’s consent to the ceasefire before it could be approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet, according to i24NEWS.
Trump counts it as the 10th war he’s settled.
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Their Own Petar

 Trump’s ballroom is halted again. And again, Trump’s lawyers did it to themselves:

For the reasons that follow, I will further clarify and amend my Order to stop only above-ground construction of the planned ballroom. My Amended Order does not, however, stop below-ground construction of national security facilities, work necessary to provide for presidential security, and construction necessary to protect and secure the White House and the construction site itself.

First, limiting the scope of the injunction to above-ground construction directly addresses the National Trust's irreparable harm, which stems from the above-ground, visible construction of the ballroom. See Mem. Op. at 29-32; see also PI. 's Mem. in Supp. of Prelim. Inj. [Dkt. #51-1] at 24-25 ("[T]he National Trust has never requested ... that the Court enjoin construction of a bunker. The National Trust is simply requesting that the Court enjoin construction of the Ballroom."). My Order barring above-ground construction provides "complete relief' to the National Trust, while minimizing the "burden[]" to Defendants through the safety-and-security exception. See Trump v. CASA, Inc., 606 U.S. 831,852 (2025) (quoting Califano v. Yamasaki, 442 U.S. 682, 702 (1979)).

Second, the injunction excludes only below-ground construction because, throughout this case, Defendants raised discrete national security concerns about construction of underground elements. Early on, Defendants argued that "security concerns . . . warrant[ ed] permitting the current below-grade construction to continue." Defs.' TRO Opp'n [Dkt. #15-1] at 27; see also TRO Hr'g Tr. [Dkt. #18] at 20:22-24 ("[T]he below-ground work that's occurring now has nothing to do with Plaintiff's asserted aesthetic injury, and that work must continue for national security reasons."). Specifically, Defendants indicated that national security-related facilities are being constructed below ground. See, e.g., Defs.' Suppl. Br. [Dkt. #30] at 41 (referencing a "security bunker" and stating that "an injunction halting construction would endanger national security"). The exception for underground national security facilities does not include the proposed ballroom because Defendants themselves distinguished between below-ground and above-ground construction, stating that "the below-surface work is driven by national security concerns independent of the above-grade construction." Defs.' Suppl. Br. at 39 4 Case 1:25-cv-04316-RJL Document 72 Filed 04/16/26 Page 5 of 10 (emphasis added); see also Deel. of Professional Engineer [Dkt. #30-4] at i15 (referencing the "national security concerns with aspects of the below grade structure"). Defendants also repeatedly represented that the project's below-ground elements do not "lock in" the design of the above-ground ballroom. Defs.' Suppl. Br. at 4; see also Defs.' Mot. to Modify Schedule [Dkt. #22] i1 4; Defs.' Mot. to Stay [Dkt. #39] at 2; cf Deel. of John Stanwich ("Stanwich Deel.") [Dkt. #14-6] i1 21 (noting the below-ground elements could be "constructed as planned while the above grade design is finalized").
Kind of hard to argue the ballroom is an integral part of the security construction below ground when you say the two are completely separate projects. One of the arguments for the ballroom being a part of the secure structure below? It will have bulletproof glass.

Seriously. That’s part of the argument made to the court. Which is probably true, but whether the ballroom can be built, or not, is up to Congress.

Now let’s talk about authorizing that stupid arch….
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The Fuller Context Of This Is Worth Noting

Pope Leo XIV: Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth. Yes, my dear sisters and brothers, you who hunger and thirst for justice, who are poor, merciful, meek, and pure of heart—you who have wept. You are the light of the world.
And are the children of God.

Waiting for Trump and Hegseth to complain that His Holiness is talking about them, and they don’t like it.
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We Won The War?

Iran’s new national security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr's views "were so extreme that one of his subordinates—Qassem Soleimani, the notorious Quds Force leader later killed by the U.S.—temporarily quit in protest."

WSJ: Iran’s Regime Has Changed—for the Worse The U.S.-Israeli attack fast-tracked the ascent of hard-liners and apocalyptic religious followers
Funny. That’s what we got. 

By the way, climate change is a hoax:
Texas is not a lot better off.  This is fine. And speaking of the elites and Jesus in the temple:
“The U.S. government has abruptly decided to end more than 60 years of relationship with Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami,” Wenkski wrote. ‘The Archdiocese of Miami’s services for unaccompanied minors have been recognized for their excellence and have served as a model for other agencies throughout the country.’”
Well, you know: Didn’t Jesus say that? I’m pretty sure he did. Somewhere in Ezekiel, I think….🤔 
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The Last Redoubt Of The Criminally Incompetent

Hegseth: To the American media—I just can't help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on. It's incredibly unpatriotic.

Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees came to watch. As the scripture reads, they were there to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might accuse Him.

You see, the Pharisees — the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time — were there to witness, to write everything down, and to report. But their hearts were hardened, even though they witnessed a literal miracle. It didn’t matter to them. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held a council against him, plotting how they might destroy him.

Our press are like these Pharisees
Now, in that analogy, who is Jesus? Trump? Hegseth? The DOD? America?
Wow this is embarrassing! Pete Hegseth quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction at a Pentagon speech and prayer session yesterday.

The prayer was an adaptation of the monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s character. In the movie, the character falsely attributes it to Ezekiel 25:17 before a killing, saying:

“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
No, that’s not Ezekiel 25:17. And I’m pretty sure Tarantino knew that:
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” says Jackson in the movie. “Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

Tarantino himself poached the fake Bible verse from the 1970s Japanese martial arts movie Bodyguard Kiba.
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
Ezekiel 25:17.

Or does Hegseth think he’s a prophet of God?
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Vague And Glittering Generalities

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday delivered a televised broadside against progressivism, a political philosophy he described as an existential threat to America and the principles that founded it 250 years ago.
Which were, ironically, radically progressive at the time. (And why are we chained to the "principles" of 250 years ago? Isn’t that the whole argument of the Declaration of Independence? That we aren’t chained to the principles of the past?)
“Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence and hence our form of government,” Thomas said in a speech at the University of Texas Austin Law School pegged to the nation’s upcoming milestone birthday.
A piece of propaganda meant to incite a revolution against the established government.
A spirit of “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” toward America -- by Americans -- has taken hold, Thomas said in remarks carried live on CSPAN.

Thomas, the Supreme Court’s senior conservative member, spoke broadly, not referencing specific contemporary events or political figures to make his case. But his comments come at a critical time for the sharply divided country and the Court.

He said that the values enshrined in the 1776 Declaration of Independence have “fallen out of favor” among Americans -- a trend perpetrated, he argued, by “intellectuals” and the nation’s colleges and universities.
People smarter than him?
Thomas also said he believes many people no longer believe “all men are created equal” and deserving of “unalienable rights” protected by a limited government.

“[Progressivism] holds that our rights and our dignities come not from God, but from government,” he said. “It requires of the people a subservience and weakness incompatible with a constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.”
The "principles" of 250 years ago held that Thomas was, at best, 3/5ths of a person. And that solely for the apportionment of political power in the legislature. "Progressivism" changed that.
Thomas said Washington has been overrun by elected and appointed officials who lack commitment to “righteous cause, to traditional morality, to national defense, to free enterprise, to religious piety or to the original meaning of the Constitution.”
The pre-13th Amendment Constitution?
“They recast themselves as Institutionalists, pragmatists or thoughtful moderates, all as a way of justifying their failures to themselves, their consciences, and their country,” he said.

Thomas called on Americans to stand up for their principles and endure personal "sacrifices," if necessary, to preserve the nation's democracy.
You go first, by paying back all the gifts and benefits your rich white friends have given you.
“In my view, we must find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration have so that we can do for our future what they did for theirs,” he said.
Pretty sure we have. You just don’t like it. You want to keep all the benefits you’ve acquired, and tell the rest of us, who aren’t shielded from the consequences of our corruption and guaranteed lifetime employment, to “sacrifice” for your vague hand-waving complaints about people who aren’t you.
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Wednesday, April 15, 2026

“Why Is This So Hard To Understand?”

The WSJ editorial board asks:
“The President is angry that Mr. Powell hasn’t cut interest rates more. But Mr. Powell alone doesn’t set rates, so firing him won’t necessarily get the President what he wants," wrote the board. "The best way to replace Mr. Powell is to drop the pretextual Justice investigation and get Mr. Warsh confirmed. Why is this so hard for the President to understand?"
Let’s see: Trump doesn’t understand that Tillis is a Senator until January. And unless Warsh is approved by then, Powell is Acting Chair through the end of the year.

Trump also doesn’t understand Powell’s term on the board runs until 2028. His answer to Bartiromo indicates he thinks she means Powell keeps the chairmanship past May.

He also thinks, again, that the Fed is a sole proprietorship, run by the person “in charge.” He can’t seem to understand that a committee sets the interest rate, and the chair is the public face who announces Board policy. 

Which answers the Editorial Board’s final question. Why doesn’t Trump understand any of this? Because Trump is an idiot.
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Living In The World’s Largest Glass House

Um....Trump? E. Jean Carroll?  Epstein? “Grab.’em by the pussy”? Owning the “Miss Teen USA” contest so he could wander the dressing room at will? Any of this ring a bell?🔔 
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I’m Just Enjoying…

Father John Lydon on Pope Leo: in Peru, we lived together during a time of terrorism and an authoritarian government, and violations of human rights. And he was in the main plaza of our city gathering signatures in defense of human rights, in the plaza surrounded by government buildings.

So this is not somebody who just woke up and decided, well, now is the time to speak about human rights. This is part of his identity…

He's going to continue to speak up based on the moral principles of the church, because that's what he was elected to do. That's what all the popes are supposed to do
... this national discussion (such as it is) about life and death, and morality and Christianity.
Yes, he really said that.

Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth," he said, at a Turning Point conference.

One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of "just war," which originated with St. Augustine. As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called "Hippo," now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria. For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics. We rejoice over everyone entering the church.

What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris. Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine. You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB , to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online. Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war.

Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. "War is always a defeat for humanity," as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," not "Blessed are the warmongers." And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not "Vengeance is mine" but "Peace be with you."

Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues.

For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, "The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise."

Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace.
Ignorance does make people more sure of their erroneous opinions.
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For The Peanut Gallery

I don’t even know what this legislation is, but it has no chance of becoming law before 2027 (so it’s what the kids call “performative”). And if it did become law and was used against Trump, you’d still have the Rube Goldberg mechanism of the 25th to contend with.

Does this law purport to amend the 25th, by the way?

Whatever it does, if it’s used against Trump, he can sue and get it before the Supremes. That will keep the question of  “Who IS the President?” alive and well for months. And to what end?

If you strike at a king, you’d better kill him. Performances close out of town; or only do matinee business. If you can’t use the impeachment power of Art. II and remove Trump, fuck it. Use the Art. I powers of Congress to strangle him with his own entrails; metaphorically speaking.

He’s already a lame duck. Make it so.
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On The Topic Of “Lanes”

Mike Johnson says the Pope had it coming: "A religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously if you wade into political waters, you should expect some political response and I think the Pope has received some of that. Frankly I was taken a bit aback by him saying something about 'those who engage in war, Jesus doesn't hear their prayers' or something. There's something called the 'just war' doctrine.'"
Oh, I’m pretty sure Jesus does hear the prayers of those who engage in war. They just don’t like the answer:
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism … on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun … nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. …

Sunday morning came — next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams — visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! … The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said …

…

Then came the “long” prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work….

An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. … he ascended to the preacher’s side and stood there waiting. …

The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside — which the startled minister did — and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:

“I come from the Throne — bearing a message from Almighty God!” …

“God’s servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two — one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this — keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor’s crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.

“You have heard your servant’s prayer — the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it — that part which the pastor — and also you in your hearts — fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: ‘Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!’ … When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory–must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

“O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

(After a pause.) “Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!”

It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
Trump’s wars are no less imperialistic than the foreign wars in Twain’s time.

Stay in your lane, Mr. Speaker. “Just war” does not mean “[only] war.”
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Reality Is A Fungible Commodity

He’s not the only one for whom reality is a simple construct:
Another hearty “fuck you” to @NPR for airing the Israeli ambassador saying that they are working on liberating the Lebanese people from Iran.

Let me be crystal clear; the only country bombing Lebanon for the last two years is Israel. The only country forcibly displacing over a million people is Israel. The only country killing children, paramedics and journalists is Israel. The only country committing egregious acts of ecocide with white phosphorus is Israel. The only soldiers who have threatened me and my colleagues for telling the truth are Israeli soldiers.

I am a witness. I have photos and video of all of it. NPR, do better. Your correspondent in Beirut knows what’s actually happening. Let them say it.
Calling it a war crime is anti-Semitic.
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So…God DID Run Out Of Locusts?

Isn’t Trump at the dead center of the “satanic, demonic child-sacrificing monsters being exposed”? And isn’t he exposing the victims instead of the monsters?
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And Sure Enough, It Got Worse

This mindless idiot is the POTUS.
BARTIROMO: You keep saying 'was.' Is this war over?

TRUMP: I think it's close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to over. If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we're not finished. We'll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal.
He’s clinging to that talking point like it was a life preserver.🛟  No, he didn’t see. No, he doesn’t know what it means. 🤦‍♂️ Yeah. Then none of this would have happened. 😵‍💫 A) If Trump could fire Powell, he’d have done it by now.
B) Tillis is a Senator until January, 2027.
C) Trump is a lame duck now.
Nothing is ever Trump’s fault.  EVER! I’m surprised he didn’t mention the beautiful letter again.
Trump: "I had the greatest year, the greatest opening year. I ended 8 wars. The greatest economy ever. But even when you have a great president, they tend to lose the midterms. It doesn't make sense to me. We've had the greatest year in the history of the presidency, first year. We should be given credit."
Reality is in the next room, knocking on the door. (I know small children who don’t whine this much.)
In a post on his Truth Social app, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran, following reports that China was preparing to send man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) to Iran via a third-party nation. President Trump also highlighted his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping early next month, saying President Xi will give me a big fat hug when I get there.”
Trump told Bartiromo that China wasn’t sending weapons to Iran, but now China has agreed not to send (more?) weapons, and Trump will get what he wants: a hug!

🤦‍♂️
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Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Trump on Iran:
2/6-“They want to make a deal badly”
3/2-“They want to make a deal badly”
3/16-“They want to make a deal badly"
3/24-“They want to make a deal badly”
3/25-“They want to make a deal badly”
4/1-“They want to make a deal badly”
4-13-“They want to make a deal badly”
4/14-“They want to make a deal badly”
During an interview today with ABC News, U.S. President Donald J. Trump stated that he doesn’t believe there will be a need to extend the current ceasefire with Iran, telling Jonathan Karl that a peace deal is coming, “I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead. I really do.”
Analysts and traders on Polymarket predict that it is unlikely U.S. President Donald J. Trump will decide to end his blockade on the coastal areas of Iran anytime soon, with chances that the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz is lifted by the end of April at only 35%, down 15% since it began on Monday.
"If the United States and the terrorist want to continue its illegal action in the maritime siege and create insecurity for Iranian commercial ships and tankers, this US action will be the prelude to a ceasefire violation, and powerful Iranian armed forces will not allow any export and import in the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea," according to Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Major General Ali Abdullahi.
So:

No threat to send in troops.
No new bombing campaign.
No sign from Iran of yielding, even as peace talks continue.

That’s as close as he gets.
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Trump Speaks!

Or tries to.
Trump on high oil prices: "They're not up-- I thought, I mean, honestly-- I thought they're be much-- and I was willing to do that, to stop a nuclear weapon to be used against this country or the Middle East, to stop that it was certainly worthwhile being much higher than it is right now. I'm very happy."
Says the only man in the country who doesn’t pay for his own gas.

This will be the only campaign ad a Democrat will need between now and November. In the long run, we’re all dead. Has FoxNews announced one of those since the Biden Administration? Wish in one hand, piss in the other. Which fills up faster? Then they were as stupid as you?
a very confused Trump: "Look at Justice Ginsburg. She was not exactly a young woman. The election was taken. They had a Democrat who could've appointed a liberal justice. About two minutes after the election, she went out." (Ginsburg died in September 2020, when Trump was president.)
Well, what more do you need? We have a State Department; we have multiple intelligence gathering/analyzing agencies. But Trump has a “beautiful letter.” Checkmate, Deep State. Time to write another letter.
BARTIROMO: We just heard from the FBI there was a major cyber attack from China. What response is under consideration?

TRUMP: We do it to them. They do it to us, we do it to them

BARTIROMO: So it's not gonna be addressed?

TRUMP: Maria, I'll address things, but it is what it is. China is China.
Whereas Iraq and Cuba are not nuclear powers, so….
Michael Clancy, a Harrisonburg resident who attended a rally hosted by Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, articulated the growing sentiment among GOP voters. Clancy said, "Other than a couple of shows like this with a few people, giving speeches, showing up, there has not been a significant push to offset what the Democrats are doing. It seems like they want to lose the midterms."
Why would that be?
Jolly attributed the disaster to voter frustration, noting, "Voters are telling us and they're telling Republicans what their problems are; Donald Trump and the Republicans are telling voters they're wrong."
Fish rots from the head….
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Tuesday, April 14, 2026

JD/TPUSA at UGa

Back from...? ...you, then. So Democrats teleported themselves back in time to a Waffle House to invent the Epstein files and all those photographs of Epstein and Trump, and all those witnesses?
Q: I am a daughter of legal immigrants… How do we fix the immigration system for people who have been waiting for their green cards for so long?

Vance: I’m marred to the daughter of immigrants. They’re great people. But I also think that when you become an American citizen, one of the responsibilities we must expect of citizens is that you have to think about the best interests of the country and not the country you came from…
Huh? Ask a serious question, get a xenophobic non-sequitur for an answer? Pro tip: I’m pretty sure the Nazis ruined the “God is on our side” meme for the rest of time. God approved? C'mon, JD, you know you want to say it. You missed your shot. How did he think it was going to go?
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