I am not exactly a fan of the Monarchy. I guess it is nice that Britain wants to keep on with the tradition. It is sometimes fun to see the pageantry of the Monarchy. But the facts get in the way of the narrative. For example, the royal family is not all that British. Queen Victoria was about 25% English and 75% German. She was raised by her German mother and English was not her first language. When she and Prince Albert conversed, it was in German. The Royal family called themselves the House of Hanover, then the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1901. That didn’t change until 1917, when Great Britain was at war with Germany. Since Germany was not exactly popular in Great Britain at the time, King George V decided something must be done. So, he changed his name to “look” more British.

“Now, therefore, We, out of Our Royal Will and Authority, do hereby declare and announce that as from the date of this Our Royal Proclamation Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that all the descendants in the male line of Our said Grandmother Queen Victoria who are subjects of these Realms, other than female descendants who may marry or may have married, shall bear the said Name of Windsor.”

The one thing certain about the royal family is that there is a definite pecking order. Anyone who watched Downton Abbey understands the way things work among the Landed Gentry in the British Aristocracy. Now enter Meghan Markle, a “b” list actress who marries Prince Harry and friction is guaranteed. If Meghan had been kind and gentle and humble, or at least entertaining they might have eventually pretended to accept her. But if the reports are true, she did the exact opposite. She apparently tried to out snob the snobbiest people on this planet.

It has been reported that 17 million people watched this self-aggrandizing interview with Oprah. It is hard to have faith in our collective judgement if that is true. It is bad enough that we elect people like Biden, Pelosi, and Schumer, but why would anyone consider Meghan Markle’s opinion about anything to matter? Are we really this desperate? The few times I accidentally watched her being interviewed it only took about two minutes to realize she is one of the most self-absorbed narcissistic people around. When she adds in the victim card, it is just plain unbearable. Seldom in the history of the world has one person been handed so much literally on a silver platter and appreciated it less. She probably considers the $7 million allegedly paid for this interview to be bargain pricing.

So far, people have been throwing money at them, because they used to be royal. That is beyond pathetic and borders on delusional. A classic case of someone being famous because they are famous, with zero regard to character or accomplishment.

Perhaps the only joy comes from realizing that even the Queen of England, who gets up each morning deciding which castle to visit next, still must deal with someone like Meghan Markle. She is definitely a royal pain, that hopefully will fade from public display sooner rather than later.

TDM

While I was on a shopping trip to Sam’s Club last weekend, I noticed that several shoppers were not wearing masks. This is the first time I have noticed that in months. Several states have already ended mask mandates. This is very likely to spread rapidly. The CDC just published a report verifying that masks don’t matter, but then ignored the results. Here is the link to the CNBC article:

CDC study finds easing mask mandates led to higher Covid cases and deaths (cnbc.com)

This has a scary headline, showing that easing mask and restaurant rules led to more COVID cases and deaths. But if you read the actual study, it becomes obvious that the opposite is true.

“Daily case and death growth rates before implementation of mask mandates were not statistically different from the reference period.”

Daily death growth rates before restrictions were lifted were not statistically different from those during the reference period, whereas significant differences in daily case growth rates were observed 41–60 days before restrictions were lifted.

In other words, neither masks nor limiting indoor dining had any statistical difference in results. In addition, this was not really a scientific study:

The findings in this report are subject to at least three limitations. First, although models controlled for mask mandates, restaurant and bar closures, stay-at-home orders, and gathering bans, the models did not control for other policies that might affect case and death rates, including other types of business closures, physical distancing recommendations, policies issued by localities, and variances granted by states to certain counties if variances were not made publicly available. Second, compliance with and enforcement of policies were not measured. Finally, the analysis did not differentiate between indoor and outdoor dining, adequacy of ventilation, and adherence to physical distancing and occupancy requirements.

There are studies in Switzerland that reached the same statistical conclusion as the CDC report. Here is the truth. Most of us have changed our lifestyles drastically during the last year. We don’t go anywhere, and we don’t socialize with anyone which makes it less likely that we catch anything, including the common cold. But this comes at a high cost.

Let me put the CDC report in perspective. It is like a college football coach talking to the media after his team lost 48-0. He says that he thought his defense did well, because they held the other team under 50 points. The CDC has been preaching mask mandates and restricting indoor dining. If it admitted that this really had little if any impact, it would be the height of embarrassment. It had to say they worked, regardless of results, or they look like idiots.

At worst, 81 to 100 days after implementing the mask mandates and banning indoor eating, the number of cases grew by 1.1% and the number of deaths grew by 3%.  In addition, there are so many other factors that it is not clear that masks mandates or banning indoor dining had any impact at all.

If we assume there are 500,000 COVID deaths, which is clearly overstated, then according to this report if there had been none of these restrictions, the death count may have increased to 515,000. When one considers how many people died from other causes, because of these restrictions the results are staggering. We know that people died because they postponed cancer screening and, in some cases, surgical operations. We will never know exactly how many people died because of these restrictions, but it is certainly higher than 15,000.

There are now several states who have totally lifted mask mandates and limitations on attendance at sporting events and concerts. A lot, if not most, people over age 65 have been vaccinated. This means that the death rate will continue to decline, even if COVID spreads. In fact, if it spreads among people who are unlikely to get seriously ill, it will just speed us on the path to herd immunity. Unless those states that are open experience a catastrophic increase in cases, hospitalizations and death, the demand to lift restrictions everywhere will soon become a political tsunami.

My wife and I went out to dinner last Thursday and dined indoors. Just as we walked in, my wife turned to me and said: “free at last.” Contrast that with Dr. Fauci who said even if we are vaccinated, we should wear masks. Why? If I have been vaccinated, I am not a threat to anyone. Neither is anyone a threat to me. What is the concern here? That I will touch someone or something that was touched by someone who had Covid and then touch someone or something else. Seriously? Is anyone buying this? Most recently he said we could even have some people come over, who are not vaccinated, if they are all from one family and no one has COVID. This is literally insane. Soon and very soon this will be obvious to everyone. Even Governor Newsome is saying professional teams can now have fans if they are limited to 20% of capacity. Where did that come from. Has anyone shown that 20% of capacity is safer than 30% of capacity? Did anyone ever try to yell with a mask on?

Try this yourself. Trust me, this will make you feel better. Go outside, wearing a mask, and yell “Newsom Sucks!” Now take your mask off, and yell “Newsom Sucks!” I guarantee you will feel better, and this will have nothing to do with increasing your risk of catching COVID.

TDM

March 4^th, 2021 was supposed to be a day of terror. The theory was that because President’s used to be sworn into office on March 4^th, that all those right-wing white supremacist terror groups adored by Donald Trump would once again gather to try and overthrow the government once again. The threat was so serious that the House cancelled the session scheduled for Thursday, March 4, 2021. Capitol Police said they’d uncovered intelligence regarding a possible plot by a militia group on that day. This was one of the reason thousands of National Guard Troops are still stationed in Washington, D.C. It is why Capitol Hill is surrounded by security fences and public access is extremely limited.

Newsweek talked about this on February 16, 2021:

As QAnon Predicts Donald Trump Reinstatement on March 4, D.C. Police Prepare for Threats (newsweek.com)

This was so serious that the FBI listed this as a domestic terrorist threat. This was based on one person who wrote: “Happy President’s Day Mr. President! We love you!! Can’t wait until March 4^th. A beautiful day for the history books and to restore American. I cannot come soon enough.”

Since this was on QAnon, it was considered proof of a terrorist plot. There are some weird conspiracy theories on QAnon, but I am not sure who QAnon is or whether this is anything more than a website where people exchange posts.

CBS absolutely hyperventilated over this:

House scraps Thursday session after intel warns of potential violence at Capitol – CBS News

“Washington — The U.S. Capitol is the target of a potential plot by a militia group to attack Democratic lawmakers on March 4 and remains a target for domestic violent extremists, according to a new intelligence bulletin issued by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security obtained by CBS News.  

“As of late February, an unidentified group of militia violent extremists discussed plans to take control of the U.S. Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or about 4 March and discussed aspirational plans to persuade thousands to travel to Washington, DC, to participate,” the bulletin reads. 

It also notes that Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said militia groups have expressed a desire to blow up the Capitol when lawmakers are attending the President Biden’s first presidential address to a joint session of Congress, which has yet to be scheduled.”

Wow! This was spot on. Remember all the violence that happened yesterday. As far as I can tell this massive insurrection consisted of 4 retirees with signs supporting Trump. The problem is that a lot of people, who should know better, believed this nonsense. That includes the FBI which has been tracking down anyone near the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Not only that, but they have also charged people with trying to overthrow the government without a shred of evidence. This is so bad the judge just ordered the “Proud Boy” released without bail.

Judge Orders Release of Proud Boy Charged in Capitol Riot | Washington, D.C. News | US News

He was charged with: “aiding and abetting an injury or depredation against government property, obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.”

Frankly Nordean should have been charged with CSSitist. That is thinking you are like Andrew Cuomo, Adam Schiff, or Eric Swalwell, all self-absorbed self-righteous arrogant fools. Norden probable did little more than shout rants, ignored by almost everyone, while carrying a bullhorn. He may have liked to think of himself as commander of a major militia force but has less credibility that Andrew Cuomo or Gavin Newsom pretending, they are competent governors.

But there are militia’s out there, who will perform violent acts. They are associated with BLM and Antifa. We will soon see them in action, as the weather warms up. Probably starting in Minneapolis regardless of how the trial of Chauvin ends up. If he is convicted, they will riot in celebration. If he is acquitted, they will riot in outrage. Either way the FBI will ignore this and continue to search for people who stupidly posed for selfies on the Capitol grounds convinced these are the real threat to society.

The good news is that the truth is rapidly becoming obvious to almost everyone. Their day of reckoning is already on the way. The bad news is that these clowns are temporarily in power and their stupidity threatens us all.

TDM

A lot of people are extremely angry and determined to change things. Unfortunately, the source of their anger is increasingly likely to be based on a false narrative. In Minneapolis Derek Chauvin, goes on trial. The town is already boarding up. There is a security perimeter around City Hall and the Court House. Following is a report about what is happening:

George Floyd’s brutal death sparked a racial justice reckoning. One officer involved goes on trial this month. What you should know. (yahoo.com)

Much of the violence last summer was in protest of the death of George Floyd. This was portrayed as a classic example of unnecessary police brutality. The story was clear and undeniable. A police officer, Derek Chauvin was seen in a video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes. Floyd died on the scene. The narrative is that police killed George Floyd solely because he was black. We were told that all during this time Floyd cried out that he couldn’t breathe. There was outraged expressed by everyone, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican. But the problem is almost everything you know about this incident is wrong. The MSM still absolutely refuses to report all of the facts. They would rather see the outrage and the violence.

We were told that this was solely because Floyd was accused of using a $20 counterfeit bill. He was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by three heavily armed police officers, who literally killed him in the process. So far there have been at least 1,700 cities and towns where George Floyd has been a rallying cry for police brutality.

But the reason Minneapolis is putting up those fences is that Officer Chauvin is very likely to be acquitted by a jury. It is hard to imagine Chauvin getting a fair trial, in Minneapolis. One would think this would last about two minutes with a quick guilty verdict. But the known, but not public, facts paint a very different picture.

Police didn’t arrest George Floyd because he was black and because he allegedly tried to cash a counterfeit $20 bill. They confronted him because of a 911 call.

Here is the text of that call:

George Floyd: Minneapolis police release 911 call that led to arrest – CNN

“He was sitting in his car and described as awfully drunk and not in control.”

The autopsy said this was a homicide caused by the police officer leaning on his neck. But if you read the actual autopsy it becomes clear that this was a politically motivated opinion.

Read the Full Autopsy Report on George Floyd | Law & Crime (lawandcrime.com)

People would have been outraged if this were not ruled a homicide. What is not widely knows is that the official autopsy ruled out asphyxia. The police did not kill him. George Floyd had severe arteriosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive heart disease.

He tested positive for Caffein, Cotinine, 4-ANPP, THC, Meth, Fentanyl, Norfentanyl, Cannaboids, Amphetamines, and Morphine.

Here is the actual autopsy report:

Read the Full Autopsy Report on George Floyd | Law & Crime (lawandcrime.com)

One notes that there were NO life-threatening injuries identified. In other words, nothing the police did killed him. I have seen credible reports that he had so many drugs in his system that he may have died even if Police had not been involved at all.

The restraint used by Officer Chauvin is what they are taught to do, to avoid injuring a suspect. Someone who can’t breathe cannot say “I can’t breathe.” It is true that Floyd died on the scene. It far from clear that the police killed him. The jury will not hear breathtaking reports from CNN. They will see the entire video of the event. They will hear real eyewitness testimony. They will learn that police actually treated Floyd with patience and respect, for several minutes. The physical confrontation happened when Floyd refused to get in the squad car. They will be getting the full autopsy report and there will be defense experts who will explain that nothing Officer Chauvin did contributed to his death. In Minneapolis, Chauvin may be convicted anyway, because everyone fears widespread violence if he is not found guilty. But he may also be acquitted, because unless there is other evidence out there, his attorneys will probably be able to prove that he wasn’t killed by Chauvin.

This does not mean police did everything right. They probably should have realized he was in serious trouble because of his intoxication. They probably should have called an EMT immediately and that might have changed the outcome. But being wrong doesn’t make anyone a murderer. No one benefited from this false narrative. We even have professional athletes refusing to kneel for the National Anthem and promoting BLM because George Floyd is embolic of systemic racism. We have a President of the United States on a mission to end systemic racism, at least partially based on what happened to George Floyd.

There has also been a false narrative about an armed insurrection on January 6^th, 2021. But police confiscated no firearms. The only person shot was killed by a Capitol Police Officer. The police officer who died, may have died from a stroke. There is no evidence he was hit by a fire extinguisher. Now they are searching to see if someone “could” have caused his death by using bear spray. The Proud Boy who was called a ringleader by the FBI was just released, without bail, by the Judge, who said there was no evidence he did anything other than go along with the crowd.

These false narratives are literally tearing this country apart. The good news is that all of these narratives are falling apart. The truth is becoming more obvious. The bad news is that the MSM and the DNC will not care. They will continue to lie, even when the lie has been totally discredited. If you doubt that, check out how people still push the thoroughly discredited Russia collusion narrative.

But the sun is starting to shine, in spite of the best efforts of those who want to throw shade on things. The lies about COVID are being revealed. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, it is on the way, and no one can change that. Here comes the sun and it is going to change everything.

TDM

Texas Governor Gregg Abbott just issued an executive order lifting the mask mandate in Texas and allowing every business and facility to open at 100% of capacity.  The Mississippi Governor just announced a similar order. The Dam is breaking, and the flood waters of freedom are on the way. Except here in California, where Governor Newsom put on a photo op in a restaurant in Fresno, closed because of COVID. He says he did not eat there but was seen standing next to a table full of food and drinks. Comedian George Lopez joined Newsom and posted a video endorsing the restaurants food. At best, this was beyond dumb.

Now Newsom is calling the decision by Governor Abbott absolutely reckless. So, while the eyes of Texas are peering out over mask free faces, California is deciding whether we are in the  purple, red, orange, or green tier. In the meantime, the state is trying to micromanage when and where children can return to school and who knows when restaurants and, gasp, churches can reopen. This would be great, if these idiotic methods worked, but they don’t.  Dr. Fauci today said he is worried about two states, California and New York. But places like Florida, Texas and South Dakota are doing at least as well as California, without the nonsense. So, while we will soon see people laughing and socializing with each other in Texas, without masks, Governor Newsom will lecture us solemnly on why we must socially distance, wash our hands and always, always, always wear a mask. In the meantime, politicians in California are desperately praying, to the God they don’t believe in, that Texas will become a super spreader site. Because if that does not happen, California moves into the certifiably insane tier.

My guess is that Texas will do just fine and the CDC and the MSM will lie in a failed attempt to pretend this is horrible without regard to the actual results. But it won’t work anymore. Too many people have vaccines and the ability to destroy our freedoms because of irrational fear is disappearing at the speed of light.

The good news is that soon and very soon every state will be re-opened, without regard to the best laid plans of mice, and men and Democratic Governors of either sex. Something else will happen. A lot of people are going to finally start demanding answers about why this was all necessary in the first place. Governor Cuomo is on life support. This is so bad that his own brother has tried, and failed, to distance himself. Now, thanks to this brilliant photo op, the odds of Governor Newsom being recalled just went from orange to purple without even bothering to stop on red.

We have been living in an insane asylum for nearly a year. This time, having the inmates run the institution is a significant improvement.

TDM

I used to tell people that: “as a fatter of mack I suffer from dexlysia.”  I just thought this was a silly joke. Then I checked out the CNN site for their fact checking on the Trump speech last night. Now that is a joke:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/donald-trump-cpac-speech-fact-check/index.html

CNN is determined to prove that Joe Biden really won the election fair and square. Their fact checking only proves that they are the ones who are delusional.  My favorite was where Trump said there were more votes than people. He was right about that, but CNN says that only happened in some precincts and state officials said this was just a clerical error, so Trump was lying. Right!

Trump said gas prices went up 30% since the election. CNN admitted that prices are 30% higher, but blamed it, yup, on Trump. CNN says that higher crude oil prices are driven by optimism about coronavirus vaccines. So, while Trump gets no credit for the vaccines, he gets blame for increasing gas prices because people are optimistic about the vaccines. And, that Texas snowstorm was also to blame. I wonder how they will blame Trump when we have $5 gas in California this summer.

CNN said Trump lied when he said that the U.S. doesn’t know anything about the refugees it brings in. Trump clearly was talking about the open southern border, but CNN deliberately distorted that to apply only to legal refugees. This is absurd.

I could go on, but you can read this for yourself. It is impossible for the MSM to report objectively on any subject, particularly if it involves Trump. One will note that they are not fact checking Biden. That is too bad, because he provides a lot of material. The Golden Globes did not tell any political jokes last night. The Trump jokes are no longer funny because he is now out of office. While the Biden Presidency is a joke, it is no laughing matter.

Trump walked out on that stage, smiled, and said: “miss me yet?” He then skewered the Biden administration and RINO Republicans. It was like a breath of fresh air. It was a reminder of the need for someone like Trump who can generate enthusiasm for a better tomorrow. It was a reminder of who is the real leader in the Republican Party.

Trump is a unique individual and no one in either party can come close to matching him. I am not sure he even plans on running for President in 2024, but he clearly plans on leading this country one way or the other. Perhaps he has decided that being a King maker is more fun than being the King. That is particularly true if the King must deal with fact checkers like CNN.

Then I realized something important. CNN did this fact checking because they are terrified of Donald Trump. They know that if people listen to this and believe it, the Democratic Party, and their supporters in the MSM are toast.

It reminds me of an incident when I was on a basketball team. The coach used to throw the ball at players if they did something wrong. I mentioned this to a teammate who said: “I wish he would throw at me; he only throws at people who are going to play.”

I still don’t think a coach throwing the ball at people is a good idea, but I understood the point. The more the MSM focuses on Donald Trump, the more evidence that they are not only terrified of him; they realize he is a real player. That is bad news for CNN, but good news for everyone else. “As a fatter of mack it does make more than a diff of bitterence.”

The steady deterioration of Joe Biden’s mental capacity is increasingly apparent. The United States literally bombed a target in Syria, and no one is quite sure who ordered that attack. Few suspect it was Joe Biden. Today, his press secretary delayed her press conference because she needed to prep Joe for his Texas visit. Seriously, the President of the United States needed to be prepped by his press secretary?

Now it appears that the State of the Union address has been delayed. My guess is that due to COVID 19, the White House will announce that the State of the Union address will be hand delivered to congress so they can read it themselves. That is, after all, the way this was handled for more than a century. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to abandon the in-person speech. It appears even he knew that although he was a gifted writer, he wasn’t exactly a great orator. That is the way every state of the union message was handled until 1913, when Wood Wilson appeared in person.

Dan Bongino is a former Secret Service agent. He was in the Presidential Protection Division for both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Now Bongino claims that friends have told him that the Secret Service is aware of the mental decline of Joe Biden. There is no way to confirm this. Secret Service agents are famously reluctant to discuss confidential information. But it is likely that Bongino either has friends who are currently Secret Service agents or friends who know active Secret Service agents. If any Secret Service agents were going to talk about this it would not be a surprise if Bongino knew that.

However, whether true or not, Bongino should not have repeated this.  I am not sure which would be more dangerous, whether this is true or not true. If true, and it has leaked, it puts us all at risk. If our enemies believe the President of the United States is incapable, they may seize the day. If not true, it also puts us at risk, because it might lure an enemy into making a huge mistake.

But the real problem is that the mental incapacity of Joe Biden is increasingly obvious to everyone. That is why 36 Democrats literally asked him to give up control of the nuclear codes. We are very close to a worst-case scenario. In their lust for power, Democrats may have only succeeded in putting someone obviously incompetent into the most demanding and powerful position in the world. That does not benefit anyone. What makes this worse is that no one, in either party, is expressing any confidence in Kamala Harris taking over.

It seems more than likely that someone, other than Joe Biden, is the acting President of the United States. This may even be a group of people, some of which were never elected and others who are cabinet members confirmed by congress. This is what happens when a political party focuses solely on gaining power with little or no regard to the real-life consequences. What makes this worse is that it sure seems like they cheated during the 2020 election to make this possible.

Sunday night Donald Trump will speak to CPAC. The viewer audience is likely to be enormous. Even CNN will probably cover this, not because they want to, but because they need viewers. The contrast between Donald Trump, focused, energetic and in control with Joe Biden struggling to read a couple of paragraphs on a TelePrompter will be beyond obvious.

We don’t know how long this will last. Woodrow Wilson was totally incapacitated because of a stroke on October 2, 1919.  His wife, Edith, took over. She hid the extent of his capacity from both the press and his opponents. She screened all his paperwork, and some believe she signed papers on behalf of her husband without necessarily consulting him. He remained in office until March 4, 1921 when Warren G. Harding was given the oath of office.

This time things will be different for a lot of reasons. One is that Joe Biden’s mental capacity is impossible to hide indefinitely. In addition, while Wilson did get better, Biden is extremely unlikely to improve. I suspect there are already secret bi-partisan discussions regarding a solution to this obvious problem. But how exactly would that work? Democrats and Republicans are hardly in a compromising mood about anything. Clearly no one thinks Kamala Harris is the answer. Republicans, already furious at the election and the treatment of Donald Trump, are probably not terribly interested in offering Democrats an easy out. This is made even worse by the people nominated for key positions in Biden’s cabinet. None of them are exactly inspiring confidence either.

The only thing certain is that this is a very bad situation, and there is not going to be an easy solution. Eventually, the American people and the MSM will find this impossible to ignore. One only hopes that is not delayed until after there is an unprecedented disaster. We can be certain of one thing. Those who made this happen are going to pay a very high price for inflicting this disaster on the American people.

Our country is bigger than any one man. This is truly a sad state of affairs, but the future still looks very bright. If nothing else, Democrats have exposed themselves as radical socialists determined to press full speed ahead with their radical agenda totally oblivious to how this is impacting millions of Americans. They are putting on a public display on why they can never again be trusted with power. Donald Trump is brilliant at listening to the American people and he will demonstrate that again Sunday night. Time doesn’t stop or even slow down for anyone and that includes Joe Biden and the DNC. The 2022 election will start before summer and November 2022 is getting larger and larger in the DNC rearview mirror.

TDM

I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This would be the time of year when we all looked forward to spring. One of the first signs of spring was baseball. That started with spring training. But the most important day was opening day. I loved to listen to Ernie Harwell broadcast the Detroit Tiger games. I was always in awe that the weather was already warm enough in places like Detroit that they could play baseball games outdoors. In the UP we were still weeks away from the ice breaking up on Lake Gogebic.

This year there are a lot of indications that a good Spring and Summer is on the way. The vaccine roll-out is really starting to show effect. The CDC has finally stopped lying about COVID 19 test results and they have also stopped lying about the number of people dying from COVID 19. While Joe Biden is putting on photo ops trying to take credit for everything, this is not fooling anyone. Even the MSM knows that the only reason we have that vaccine and the massive number of doses available is because of Donald Trump. This was all in place long before the November election.

I strongly believe by Spring most of the current restrictions will be significantly reduced. Indoor dining will be approved everywhere. Schools will reopen and we will be on a path toward normal. While Democrats desperately want to continue social distancing and masks indefinitely, those days are also coming to an end. It is this simple. As of today, 45,237,143 people have already been vaccinated, 20,607,261 have already received the second dose. Today over 17% of adults over 18 have been vaccinated. But what really matters is who is getting vaccinated. Originally it was given to politicians and first responders. Now teachers are shoving their way to the head of the line. But despite the political correctness, people over 65 are also getting the vaccine. Those are the people who want it and need it. I got my vaccine yesterday; my wife gets hers Friday. Virtually all my friends who are over 65 have either gotten the vaccine already or are scheduled to get it. This means by Easter Sunday, the people most vulnerable to COVID 19 will either have been vaccinated or scheduled to be vaccinated.

The scare tactics used to support social distancing and masks will not work anymore. Since people under age 65 face little risk, even if they get COVID 19. There are always exceptions but there are exceptions with every disease. I predict that soon and very soon there will be a serious national revolt against mask mandates. By summer, people wearing masks will be the exception, not the rule. At some point, sooner rather than later, sporting events will again be open to the public without restrictions. In addition to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this year we will be celebrating the resurrection of our country.

Right now, Democrats are celebrating, and they have the bit in their mouth. They are dreaming of a socialist society. But Easter Sunday is right around the corner and soon the winds of change will be blowing strongly in the opposite direction. This will have a profound effect on the political environment. People are sick of being locked down, sick of being scared, and sick of having tyrannical governments control every aspect of our lives. Once people experience true freedom again, they will be highly motivated to prevent anyone from taking it away again. The desire for freedom will spread faster than any disease. The implications for the 2022 election cannot be ignored.

When you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, pause, and say a brief prayer of thanksgiving and celebrate the resurrection of our country and the restoration of the freedom that will soon be returning. It is always darkest just before dawn.

TDM

Tester outlines defense budget strategy – POLITICO

While some people questioned whether Trump should have access to the nuclear codes, there was never a serious effort to change that. This is because things can happen in a hurry and someone must have the authority to take drastic action. While a lot of people hated Trump, they knew they could not make the case for removing these codes from him. There is a reason a President of the United States has that power.

But now several Democrats are suggesting exactly that regarding Joe Biden, and this appears to be far more serious:

REDUCING ‘REAL RISKS’: Nearly three dozen House Democrats on Monday called on Biden to relinquish his sole authority to launch nuclear weapons, in the latest appeal to reform the command-and-control structure so that no single person can initiate a nuclear war.

“…Vesting one person with this authority entails real risks,” states the letter spearheaded by Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California. “Past presidents have threatened to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior that caused other officials to express concern about the president’s judgment.“

“While any president would presumably consult with advisors before ordering a nuclear attack, there is no requirement to do so,” the letter adds. “The military is obligated to carry out the order if they assess it is legal under the laws of war. Under the current posture of U.S. nuclear forces, that attack would happen in minutes.”

They offer a number of alternatives, including requiring other officials in the line of succession, such as the vice president and the speaker of the House — “neither of whom can be removed by the president if they disagree — to concur with a launch order.”

This is a public slap in the face of Joe Biden, but it is more than that. It is a recognizing that a President of the United States must be capable of making very difficult decisions under stress. That will always be part of the job requirement. If you don’t think the President is up to the job, remove him. That is the reason for the 25^th Amendment. It recognized the need for a legal mechanism for designating a head of state when the president is disabled or dead. But in this case, the problem is that Joe Biden is not disabled, he was never abled in the first place. Democrats wanted to use this against Trump because they hated his personality. But now there is probable cause to use it, because of Biden’s obvious senility. The problem is that removing Biden gives us Kamala Harris, who is arguably worse. The real problem is that Democrats willingly elected someone to be President of the United States even though he was clearly incapable of doing the job.

If 36 Democrats have already figured this out, we can bet more people are going to be expressing their concern. What struck me is that one of them is Jimmy Panetta. He is the son of Leon Panetta, former Secretary of Defense. Leon Panetta is very partisan, but he is not insane. In addition to being Secretary of Defense, he was Director of the CIA, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the White House Chief of Staff. Leon Panetta is a very serious man. It is hard to imagine his son doing this without consulting his father. Perhaps I am wrong, but it sure looks like some very serious members of the Democratic establishment are getting terrified at the thought of President Joe Biden making presidential decisions.

Soon and very soon, something will have to be done. But notice that no one is talking about the 25^th Amendment, because there is zero enthusiasm for President Kamala Harris. While this is insulting to Joe Biden, it is a devastating rebuke for Kamala Harris. If one feels the President is incapable, then the constitutional choice is to replace him with the Vice President. Since no one is even suggesting that, it means they do not consider her to be a viable option. If effect, they want to replace her with a committee.

This would be hysterical if it weren’t so serious. One of the strongest parts of our national security is the certainty that a nuclear attack on the U.S. would be met with an immediate a devasting response. Presidents have also refused to rule out a first strike with a nuclear weapon, because our nuclear arsenal is also a deterrent to a lot of really bad things like a chemical or biological attack. But what good is our nuclear arsenal if no one thinks we will the guts to use it. I pray we never have to use it but fear the day our enemies our enemies stop fearing us.

We are in end times. End of the illusion that Joe Biden is remotely capable of being President of the United States. There is increasing bi-partisan recognition of the problem. What is lacking is anyone having a viable strategy for fixing this problem. This is what happens when a political party forgets the consequences of electing someone to be President of the United States without regard to whether or not this person is remotely capable of doing the job.

TDM

Few people in this country have had more chances to screw things up more royally than Andrew Cuomo. He began His career as campaign manager for his father. He was the Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Development from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 he became the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

It was Cuomo who facilitated the Subprime Mortgage fiasco that came perilously close to destroying the U.S. economy. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Give mortgages to people who didn’t have good credit and hadn’t been able to save up for a down payment. What could possibly go wrong. It did allow a lot of people get mortgages to buy homes they couldn’t afford. But who cared, because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were there to guarantee a lot of those loans. But it turned out that bad loans are bad loans  Ultimately a lot of people, particularly minorities, who got those great loans ended up losing their homes. In the meantime, Investment Bankers and Insurance companies joined the parade. When those homeowners eventually defaulted, the mortgage-based securities market collapsed with them.

There have been numerous scandals, at every office he has held. He publicly renewed an executive order signed by Eliot Spitzer that prevented the Governor of New York from receiving donations from gubernatorial appointment. Secretly he changed the rules. There are reports that 24 of his appointees donated $890,000 to his campaign as well as another $1.3 million from spouses etc. Cuomo admitted his error and graciously returned $2,500 of this money. He used money from Hurricane Sandy to promote New York and its great governor. The Moreland Commission, a commission he established to root out corruption in politics, was disbanded when they started, gasp, looking at him. There have, of course, been the usual allegations of sexual harassment.

But none of this seemed to even slow him down. The Democratic Party was desperate to find someone, anyone, who looked like a leader. During the COVID 19 disaster, Cuomo even won an Emmy for his press conferences, even though New York arguably handled this worse than any other state.  He was like the Democratic version of Donald Trump, only without any actual accomplishments and a glaring lack of a soul. But none of this mattered, because the MSM loved him and could see no evil.

That all changed recently when one of his top aids admitted withholding Nursing Home death data from the DOJ and the New York Legislatures, because they thought it would be politically embarrassing. Cuomo failed to recognize that this was really bad, so he doubled down on stupidity by holding press conferences that just exposed his incredible ability to lie with a straight face and pretend double talk is a substitute for an honest discussion. Even worse, the only error he recognized was the failure to silence his critics.  It soon became impossible to ignore the reality of Andrew Cuomo.

He is now facing a bi-partisan push to impeach him. DeBlasio, easily the worst Mayor in the history of New York, is now slamming Cuomo. Things are so bad CNN won’t risk any more episodes of the Chris and Andrew show where the Cuomo brothers put on a nightly comedy routine.

It is not clear that Cuomo will survive this one. The problem is that in addition to the corruption and arrogance  he clearly is a world-class jerk in real life. Once people sensed the loss of power, they came out of the woodwork to trash him. It seems like everyone has an Andrew Cuomo story, none of them good. Soon Cuomo is going to look like the loneliest man in politics.

In fairness to Cuomo, he is probably no worse than a lot of other people. But everyone is angry because of COVID 19. They are angry at the lockdowns; they are angry at all the controls. They are tired of being afraid. Our schools are closed, everyone is wearing a mask and people are still dying. And Donald Trump is gone so blaming everything on him is no longer an option. But wait, there’s Andrew Cuomo with the same arrogant New York persona that people hated about Donald Trump. He is the Democratic version of Donald Trump, just without the baggage of actual accomplishments. Wait, he did actually kill a lot of senior citizens, but as he said: “so they died, who cares?” Obviously, not Andrew Cuomo.

In any national election, the Governor of New York, the Governor of California, and the Mayor of New York are all considered potential candidates for the Presidency. That is because these are the type of executive positions that teach one how to govern effectively. Look at the background of our Presidents, starting with Eisenhower:

Eisenhower – General

Kennedy – Senator

Johnson – VP and Senate Majority Leader

Nixon – VP

Ford – Congressman (not elected)

Carter – Governor

Reagan – Governor

Bush – Director of the CIA

Clinton – Governor

Bush – Governor

Obama – Ran shoeshine booth at O’Hare International

Trump – Business Tycoon

Biden – VP – Senator

Normally, if one political party had all these positions, the party would be considered very likely to elect the next President. But today those three positions are held by Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom, and Bill DeBlasio, and all of them are stinking up the job. None of them have any realistic potential to be a candidate for President of the United States. What makes this worse, is that the last Presidential election proved that the DNC has no bench. If the best you can do is Joe Biden, then you’ve got nothing.

So, as you watch Cuomo deteriorate on his way out of office at a speed no one would have predicted just a couple of weeks ago, keep this in mind. This was the last best hope for the DNC. After Cuo Mo is No mo, so is the DNC.

TDM