Thursday, March 7, 2024

Shady must just want to embarrass the Democratic Party

We are back to corrupt Shady Menendez.  Isabel Vincent of The New York Post writes:

 

Embattled New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez will not run for re-election in November, although he still refuses to hand in his resignation, The Post has learned.

“He will not be running,” a source close to the 70-year-old three-term senator told The Post.

Menendez resigned his powerful position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following his initial indictment on corruption charges in September.

As I asked last time, what's the game plan:

 

What is the game plan there?  
 
In June, the primary takes place.  While Menendez hasn't declared he's running for re-election, it doesn't matter.  There's no way he's going to win the primary.  So why doesn't he just cop to a plea deal on the charges and retire from office?

Does he think he'll have more power once he's a former senator?  I don't see that happening. 

 

Maybe he's just attempting to humiliate the Democratic Party on the way out the door? 

CBS News reports the latest polls now show a majority of people in New Jersey want Shady to resign.



New Jersey Spotlight News notes:


The Monmouth University Polling Institute released results Thursday of a poll that asked New Jersey residents their opinion of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s legal troubles. A majority (63%) said he should resign now. Just 16% said they approve of the job he’s doing.

Menendez dodged cameras on Capitol Hill Thursday and told CNN he has no plans to resign, despite being hit with a third indictment in the sweeping federal bribery case against him.


There's nothing in it for him at this point other than just wanting to humiliate the Democratic Party. 

Now please read Kat's "I've had it with BLACK POWER MEDIA and its attack on African-American."

I'm right there with her.  Jared Ball and Black Power Media's decision to go after the late Sidney Poitier with nonsense gossip yesterday truly is the last straw for me.  We have two African-American men nominated for Best Actor.  I hope one of them, Colman Domingo, wins the Oscar next week.  But instead of uplifting the two men and cheering them on, so-called 'Black' Power Media has trashed both films repeatedly.  I'm tired of it.  

I like Kim Brown and Jacquie and Renee and the Ear Doctor but I'm tired of Jared's attacks on African-American actors.  I'm also still not over his homophobic rant about Rustin (the film Domingo is in) which included him decreeing that the film was "too gay."

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Thursday, March 7, 2024.  In the US and around the world the outcry for a cease-fire grows louder, starvation grows worse in Gaza as the Israeli government continues to disrupt the flow of aid, and much more.



A protest vote against Joe Biden gained more traction around the country on Super Tuesday as voters in several states sought to send a message to the Democratic president to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Grassroots groups organized quickly after a similar effort in Michigan last week far exceeded its goal of 10,000 votes for “uncommitted” brought in more than 100,000 votes, or 13% of the vote.

A smattering of Super Tuesday states – Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee – had an option on the Democratic ballot where voters could decide not to commit to a specific candidate. These options included “uncommitted”, “noncommitted delegate” and “no preference”.


And, still in the US, Kyle Stokes (AXIOS) notes:

The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a non-binding resolution Wednesday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

Why it matters: St. Paul's vote is the latest sign of discontent on the left with the Biden Administration's policy toward the Israel-Hamas war.

The big picture: A growing list of U.S. cities — including Minneapolis — have passed similar resolutions.


Katie Galioto (STAR TRIBUNE) adds, "Dozens of cities in the United States already have passed resolutions calling for a cease-fire, including Minneapolis, Hastings and Columbia Heights. Council President Mitra Jalali characterized the council's vote as a "major departure" from St. Paul's usual approach to international issues."

Dozens of cities -- in fact many more than that -- have also seen protests throughout the US.  Gary Robbins and Caleb Lunetta (SAN DIEGO UNION_TRIBUNE) report:


 In one of the largest demonstrations in campus history, about 2,500 pro-Palestinian protesters marched across UC San Diego Wednesday, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and pressing the student government not to do business with companies they regard as hostile to Palestinians.

The Associated Students board was considering a resolution Wednesday night that would comply with the protesters’ demand.

The disgust mounting is not just in the US.  CNA notes, "China described the war in Gaza as a 'disgrace to civilisation' and called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire as the conflict stretched into its sixth month despite efforts by mediators to reach a truce."  Raya Jalabi (FINANCIAL TIMES OF LONDON) reports on Arab reaction:


A recent Arab Opinion Index poll, which involved 8,000 people from 16 countries across the region, showed anger over the Gaza war and America’s response at record highs, with 76 per cent of respondents saying their position towards the US had become “more negative”. The pollsters said the survey showed “the Arab public has lost confidence in the US”. 
Young Arabs have boycotted US brands, including Starbucks and McDonald's, over their alleged support of Israel, scrapped plans to study in the US and turned down jobs at US companies. Anti-US protests have been held, particularly in Yemen and Iraq, where the US has launched strikes against Iran-aligned armed groups.


Daniel Hurst (GUARDIAN) covers another voice dismayed:

Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has criticised the west for its attitude to the situation in Gaza during a speech at the Australian National University in Canberra. He said countries should not apply international law selectively.

“Unfortunately, the gut-wrenching tragedy that continues to unfold in the Gaza Strip has laid bare the self-serving nature of the much-vaunted rules-based order,” Anwar said.

“The differing responses by the west to human suffering defy reasoning.”

Anwar questioned why the west had been “so vociferous, vehement and unequivocal in the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while remaining utterly silent on the relentless blood-letting inflicted on innocent men, women and children of Gaza”.

“Sure, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between,” he said as he delivered the 2024 Gareth Evans Oration, named after a long-serving former foreign minister.



US Senator Bernie Sanders says it is time to tell War Criminal Netanyahu "no."



  Flanked by photos of hungry children and destroyed buildings, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a speech Wednesday that the Biden administration must stop merely asking the Israeli government to halt its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and begin using real leverage to bring about an end to the war and ensure the free flow of aid to the territory's starving population.

"The U.S. government should make it clear that failure to open up access immediately and feed starving people will result in the Netanyahu government not getting another penny of U.S. taxpayer military aid," said Sanders (I-Vt.), who noted that "right now we have the incredible situation where a U.S. ally is using U.S. weapons and equipment to block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid."

"And if that's not crazy," the senator added, "I don't know what is." 



In this environment, US President Joe Biden prepares to deliver the Statue of the Union Address.  And he doesn't even see what may be coming politically.   The GOP is most likely setting a trap wherein Joe becomes ineffective and unable to lead.  That's how they're going to try to portray him -- and he's helping them out.  His inability to call out the Israeli government has left him wide open to the campaign that they are probably about to run on him.  It's worked on others.  If it works, it will only work because Joe has spent all these months truly doing nothing.  He has created the perception for his political rivals to build upon.  I hope I'm wrong.  And I'm being tentative here because I'm hoping that.  But in the last four hours, FOX "NEWS" has a new headline.  I saw it on Google as I was warming up (I usually exercise while I'm dictating the snapshot).  "That's interesting," I thought, "they haven't headlined that topic since the October 7th attack and suddenly that's their focus."  No, they haven't made that their focus.  But it does fit in with a new attack and, again, one used successfully against a sitting president before.  That Joe and his handlers could allow this possible attack to come about is appalling.  Again, I hope I'm wrong but I think I know the GOP 'response' to tonight's State of the Union Address. If I'm right, the only thing that would save him is to call for an immediate cease-fire.  If they're trying to paint him as ineffective and a dilly-dally, the only path through that is for him to demand a cease-fire in tonight's speech.  And maybe curb John Kirby because if you think about his statements on Tuesday, it's as though he's working to aid the GOP.  
 


Five months after Hamas launched multipronged attacks on Israel, almost half of Gaza’s buildings lie in ruins and at least 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, which, along with aid agencies, is warning that some of the most vulnerable children in the territory have begun to starve to death.

The Israeli military controls swaths of the Gaza Strip, and it has threatened to attack Rafah, a southern city where 1.5 million Palestinians have fled, unless a cease-fire deal is reached by next week. Israel has not achieved its military goals: destroying Hamas in response to its Oct. 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people, and rescuing the 100-plus remaining hostages taken that day. It is unclear whether either is even possible.

Abroad, the worsening humanitarian tragedy has heaped international pressure on Israel. Even friends such as the U.S., which gives Israel $3 billion in weapons and other military aid every year, have joined the chorus, rhetorically at least, pressuring Israel urgently to allow more aid into the enclave, where Palestinians are huddled in encampments and sleeping on the streets.



 As Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip drain essential supplies, displaced Palestinians told CNN they are struggling to feed their children. Starving mothers are unable to produce enough milk to breastfeed their babies, doctors say. Parents arrive at overwhelmed health facilities begging for infant formula. In northern Gaza, people rush to grab aid from infrequent humanitarian drops. Health workers say they cannot offer life-saving treatment to malnourished Gazans because Israel’s bombardment and siege has crushed the medical system.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said Tuesday that since the beginning of the war, 364 health workers had been killed; 269 medical staff arrested; 155 health facilities “destroyed,” and 155 ambulances “targeted.” CNN cannot independently confirm the numbers due to the lack of international media access to Gaza.     




AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

A U.N. convoy of food trucks trying to bring 200 tons of food into northern Gaza was turned back by the Israeli military today. A convoy of 14 trucks waited for three hours at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint in central Gaza before it was turned away by the Israeli military and later stopped by a large crowd of desperate people who, quote, “looted the food,” according to the World Food Programme. This comes as Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians seeking to get aid in northern Gaza, killing at least 119 people in the most deadly attack February 29th.

Hunger has reached catastrophic levels in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry said today the death toll from malnutrition and dehydration has risen to 18, adding, quote, “The famine is deepening and will claim thousands of lives if the aggression is not halted and humanitarian and medical aid is not immediately brought in,” unquote. Children, pregnant women, those with chronic illnesses are most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the Israeli bombardment continues, with shelling and airstrikes today in cities across the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah and elsewhere. At least 30,700 Palestinians have been killed, over 72,000 wounded in Gaza over the past five months. Nearly the entire population has been displaced from their homes.

For more, we go to Cairo, Egypt, where we’re joined by Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian novelist, poet and activist, author of several books, best known for her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, an international best-seller translated into 32 languages, considered a classic in Palestinian literature. She’s the founder and co-director of Playgrounds for Palestine, a children’s organization, and the executive director of Palestine Writes Literature Festival. She just returned from Gaza after spending two weeks there, is now in Cairo.

Susan, welcome to Democracy Now! If you can talk about what you saw? You have written, “Some are eating stray cats and dogs, which are themselves starving and sometimes feeding on human remains that litter streets where Israeli snipers picked off people who dared to venture within the sight of their scopes. The old and weak have already died of hunger and thirst.” Describe your trip.

SUSAN ABULHAWA: So, that part of the essay is in the northern region, where nobody really is allowed to go. Trying to venture into the north is a suicide mission. There are tanks and snipers positioned, and anyone trying to get there is basically killed. As you just mentioned, aid trucks are not getting in, either. They are intentionally stopped. And it’s an intentional starvation, basically. I was primarily in the south, in Rafah. I was able to go to Khan Younis and to Nuseirat and a few other places in the middle region, but that became increasingly more dangerous.

I want to say that the reality on the ground is infinitely worse than the worst videos and photos that we’re seeing in the West. There is a — you know, beyond people being buried alive en masse in their homes, their bodies being shredded to pieces, these kinds of videos and images that people are seeing — beyond that, there is this daily massive degradation of life. It is a total denigration of a whole society, that was once high-functioning and proud and has basically been reduced to the most primal of ambitions, you know, being able to get enough water for the day or flour to bake bread. And this is even in Rafah.

And the people in Rafah will tell you that they feel privileged because they’re not starving to death, while their families in the north, the ones that they can reach, because Israel has basically cut off 99% of communication — what remains are basically communications by people who have, you know, set up some ingenious ways to keep internet in the north. But most people in the north have no idea what’s happening. As a matter of fact, at one point — I’m sure you all know Bisan Owda, who is on Facebook. She explained to me she often goes up to the border between Khan Younis and the middle area in the north where you can’t go beyond, and she explained to me that an aid truck, that sort of pushed its way through but was eventually fired on, had — people came up and ran up, thinking that the war was over and people were returning to the north. So, most people in the north are in total darkness and hunger and really have no way of communicating, no way of figuring out where to get food.

And, you know, what we’re hearing on the ground is surreal. It’s dystopic. What I witnessed personally in Rafah and in some of the middle areas is incomprehensible. And I will call it a holocaust — and I don’t use that word lightly. But it is absolutely that.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Susan Abulhawa, I want —

SUSAN ABULHAWA: The stories I heard from people are — sorry, go ahead.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, no, Susan, I wanted to ask you — you write in your article, “At some point, the indignity of filth is inescapable. At some point, you just wait for death, even as you also wait for a ceasefire. But people don’t know what they will do after a ceasefire.” Could you talk about that, even if there is a ceasefire —

SUSAN ABULHAWA: Yeah.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: — the level of destruction that the people face now in terms of being able to rebuild their country?

SUSAN ABULHAWA: I mean, that’s how much people have been reduced. I mean, the ceiling of their hope at this point is for the bombs to stop. And, you know, everybody wants to go back. They talk about pitching a tent on their homes and figuring things out. But a lot of people are trying to leave. There is a brain drain, basically. Those who can afford it, those who can raise the money, those who are able to get jobs elsewhere, who have professional skills, are trying to leave. They have children. All the schools have been destroyed. College students have nowhere to go.

You know, what’s happening to people isn’t just this death and dismemberment and hunger. It’s a total denigration of their personhood, of their whole society. There are no universities left. Israel intentionally bombed schools and blew them up, presumably to ensure that rebuilding could not take place, that reestablishing a society cannot take place without the infrastructure of education, of healthcare, and, basically, foundational structures for buildings.

AMY GOODMAN: Susan, I wanted to follow up on what you said about a holocaust. And you also used the term “genocide.” And you say, “Genocide isn’t just mass murder. It is intentional erasure.” Can you take that from there?

SUSAN ABULHAWA: Exactly. I mean, one of the — like I said, one of the things that Israel has been keen to do in Gaza is to erase remnants of people’s lives. So you have, on an individual level, homes, complete with memories and photos and all the things of living. And I’m sure you know Palestinians typically live in multigenerational homes. We’re not a mobile society. And so, these homes have several generations of the same family completely wiped out. On a societal level, you have — Israel has targeted places of worship — mosques, ancient churches, ancient mosques. They have targeted the museums, cultural centers, any place that — libraries. Any place that has records of people’s lives, has remnants and traces of their roots in the land, have been intentionally wiped away.

You know, it’s really frustrating for us to read Western media talk about, you know, Israel is targeting Hamas and whatnot. They’re not. This has always — and when you’re on the ground, you understand this has always been about displacing Palestinians, taking their place and wiping them off the map. That has been Israel’s stated goal, I mean, even in this instance and before, in 1948. It has always been their aim, to destroy us, remove us, kill us and take our place. And that’s what’s happening now in Gaza. It’s what happened in 1948, in 1967. And every new Nakba, every new escalation, is greater than the one before. And here we now arrive at a moment of genocide and holocaust, because the world has allowed Israel to act with such barbarity with impunity.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, I wanted to ask you also — you mentioned the world reaction. More people have died in Gaza in less than five months than have — civilians — than have died in Ukraine in over two years, in the war in Ukraine, and Ukraine has 40 times the population of Gaza. I’m wondering your sense of the failure of the — especially of the Western nations, of Europe and the United States, to act?

SUSAN ABULHAWA: The Western world has lost any semblance of moral authority, if they ever had any. Or, you know, I think that maybe there was an illusion of moral authority previously, but I think — you know, what we have always known is that we are dealing with genocidal colonizers. But I think that is more apparent to the rest of the world at this hour. And I think what’s also happening is that Americans are coming to understand, increasingly, though not nearly enough, that they’re being lied to.

AMY GOODMAN: And we’re going to take up that issue in Part 2 of our discussion, which we’ll post at democracynow.org. Susan Abulhawa, Palestinian novelist, thanks so much.


This morning, CNN notes:

  • Suffering in Gaza: At least 20 people have died in Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began, including a 15-year-old boy who was declared dead at the Al-Shifa medical complex on Wednesday, the enclave's health ministry said. Gazans told CNN their children are starving to death and mothers cannot breastfeed their babies. In the southern city of Rafah, a displaced health worker has warned thousands of babies could die of starvation if Israel continues its severe restrictions on food, fuel, water and medication from entering Gaza.
  • Israel blocking aid: The United Nations said almost 40% of aid missions it coordinated in Gaza were denied or impeded by Israel last month. In February, 86 of the 222 missions in areas that needed coordination were denied or impeded by Israel, said the agency's humanitarian affairs arm. In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Cyprus this week to discuss creating a maritime aid corridor to Gaza



Israel has generated “famine-like conditions” in the Gaza Strip “while obstructing and undermining the humanitarian response”, according to a new report by humanitarian group Refugees International.

The group’s research in Egypt, Jordan and Israel revealed that Tel Aviv “consistently and groundlessly impeded aid operations within Gaza, blocked legitimate relief operations and resisted implementing measures that would genuinely enhance the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza”.


Gaza remains under assault. Day 153 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  ALJAZEERA notes, "At least 30,800 people have been killed and 72,298 wounded by Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry said."  Months ago,  AP  noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:







And the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."   




For six days, more than 50 countries, the League of Arab States, the African Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation presented testimony to the International Court of Justice (ICJ, or World Court) about the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. The overwhelming majority of them, largely from the Global South, told the court that the occupation was illegal.

The historic hearing, which took place February 19-26, was held in response to the United Nations General Assembly’s December 30, 2022, request for an advisory opinion on the following questions:

(a) What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures?

(b) How do the policies and practices of Israel … affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?

The General Assembly asked the ICJ to discuss these issues with reference to international law, including the UN Charter; international humanitarian law; international human rights law; resolutions of the Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Council; and the 2004 advisory opinion of the ICJ finding that Israel’s wall on Palestinian land violated international law.

Israel regularly thumbs its nose at the World Court. It ignored the court’s ruling that the wall was illegal and refuses to implement the ICJ’s provisional order to refrain from committing genocidal acts and ensure humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Before the hearing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the court: “Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the proceedings of the international court in The Hague regarding ‘the legality of the occupation’ — which are an effort designed to infringe on Israel’s right to defend itself against existential threats,” he said. “The proceedings in The Hague are part of the Palestinian attempt to dictate the results of the diplomatic settlement without negotiations.”

Although Israel didn’t appear at the hearing, it submitted a five-page statement which called the General Assembly’s questions “a clear distortion of the history and present reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Israel didn’t even attempt to defend the legality of the occupation, focusing instead on why the ICJ should not render an advisory opinion.


 

The following sites updated:




 

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

What's the plan Shady?

It never ends for Shady Menendez. Molly Bohannon (Forbes) reports:



Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife were hit with another superseding indictment from a federal court in New York on Tuesday that alleges obstruction of justice, a new charge on top of the bribery charges the pair already face.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, face obstruction of justice charges in the new indictment, which argues the pair made their lawyers make “false and misleading statements” to prosecutors about payments that prosecutors allege were actually bribes, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.



I'm just shaking my head.  Puzzled.
 
What is the game plan there?  
 
In June, the primary takes place.  While Menendez hasn't declared he's running for re-election, it doesn't matter.  There's no way he's going to win the primary.  So why doesn't he just cop to a plea deal on the charges and retire from office?

Does he think he'll have more power once he's a former senator?  I don't see that happening.  
 

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

 

Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The day after Super Tuesday, the Supreme Court's lousy decision, starvation continues in Gaza, and much more.

The Supreme Court made a lousy decision this week.  The decision was lousy, but the whole thing was lousy.  That's the case put forward, that's the media coverage, that's what Congress did at the start of 2021.  If you ever wanted proof that our society was infected with idiots, all you had to do was follow the nonsense.

I planned to be nice and just hold my tongue but there are too many e-mails on the topic.

Was there an attempted insurrection?  I believe there was and I didn't rush to that decision.  I do not like Donald Trump but I did not rush to that decision.  When the legal cases against him began to get play, that clarified his role behind the scenes and, no, it's not stretch to see him as the ringleader.  

But there were other issues there as well and the press, and the lawyers and the Congress elected to ignore them.

Let's drop back to January 20, 2017.


What a sad and poorly dressed family.  But the key take away is that Donald took the oath of office.  He was sworn in as president.

This is the oath they all have to take:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

You saw the video, Donald took the oath.

Donald then broke the oath.

He took an oath to uphold the Constitution.  He broke that oath.  Article II is part of the Constitution:


  • Clause 2 Electors
  • Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

  • Clause 3 Electoral College Count
  • The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.

  • Clause 4 Electoral Votes
  • The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.


Click on anything you need to in order to expand the above.  He broke it.  He came up with fake electors, he plotted and schemed.  Every thing he did to try to avoid leaving office was illegal and unconstitutional.  The Constitution outlines the process.  It did not permit him to do what he did.  What he did was actually treason.  

That's a strong word and it's one I don't toss around lightly because it carries the penalty of death.  But his actions qualify as treason.  He put himself above the country and that's not allowed.  And that's what should have been hammered home.

Is he fit to serve?  Four years earlier when he was presumably more aware of his surroundings, he was ready to destroy democracy to hold onto a second term.  He broke his oath to the Constitution.  Clearly, he is not fit for office.

They didn't hit on it.  They didn't cover it that way.  Maybe they just don't care about what's termed the supreme law of the land?  

Must be because the media ignored that aspect, the attorneys did, the Congress did.  

It is your first duty in office, to take the oath of office.  And you fail at keeping that oath then you have no business running for office again.

Would it have mattered?  I think it would have swayed more people.  We know what he did.  We have video of him taking the oath.  We know he broke it.

I don't think it would have mattered to the Supreme Court.  It's a corrupt Court and the best that you can say for the three center-left justices is that they're scaredy cats.

Of course the state can determine who is on their ballot.

What f**king would do those lying justices live in?

I'm sorry Baby Kennedy Junior wants to be on the ballot.  Who's he fighting with?  States. 

States are determining whether he can be on their ballot or not.  

Of course, states have that right and they always have.

It's an embarrassment of stupidity all around.

Let's note Super Tuesday before we move on.  A number of states held primaries yesterday.  In California?  The general election in November will now determine whether Adam Schiff or Steve Garvey gets the seat.

It better be Schiff.  And if it's not, he better be crucified by the press.

Steve Garvey is a faded pin up from decades ago.  

He is now on the ballot in November because of Adam Schiff.

Adam wanted to run against him.  Not against Katie Porter, not against Barbara Lee.  He elevated Garvey for that reason.

What could go wrong?

2016 Team Hillary wanted her in the White House and they elevated Donald Trump for that reason.  Look how that worked out.  And has she or her team faced serious questioning on this?  No, of course not.

Schiff better win.  If he doesn't, the press should descend upon him like pack of jackals. 

He knows what that's like and will probably learn even more about it judging by last night's 'victory.'








Across the states, US President Joe Biden faced challenges.  Siladitya Ray (FORBES) breaks it down:

In six of the 14 states that held Democratic primaries on Tuesday, the “uncommitted” or “no preference” option garnered the second highest number of votes—beating longshot contenders Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)

The “uncommitted” vote drew unexpectedly strong support in Minnesota, garnering nearly 46,000 or 19% of the votes—driven by support from Muslim American voters and young progressives, according to the New York Times.

In North Carolina, where Biden was the sole candidate on the ballot, more than 88,000 chose ‘No Preference’—accounting for 12.7% of the vote.

More than 54,000 voters, or 9.4%, picked “No Preference” in the Massachusetts primary, with the protest vote beating both Williamson and Phillips by handy margins.

With 73% of the ballots counted, “Noncommitted delegate” looks set to finish second place in the party’s Colorado primary, having garnered 8.1% of the votes.

“Uncommitted” received 7.9% of the votes in Tennessee—where Biden was the sole candidate—and it also beat Phillips to finish second in Alabama, with 6% of the votes.



On the topic of elections, Sinan Mahmoud (THE NATIONAL) reports:

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq will hold long-overdue parliamentary elections on June 10, according to a decree issued by regional presidency on Sunday.

“The decree is effective immediately, and all necessary measures must be taken from today, upon its issuance," President Nechirvan Barzani said.

The semi-autonomous region was supposed to hold parliamentary elections in October 2022, but disagreements between the major ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, pushed back the date.

The two parties, which have a delicate power-sharing arrangement, later agreed to extend the parliament's term for a year so they could continue negotiations over issues such as amending the elections law and the sharing of tax and oil revenues.


Let's move over to Gaza, specifically fish faced Pramila Patten and her lies.  She didn't conduct an investigation.  She doesn't use terms like evidence but instead uses "information" as she insists that rapes took place during the October 7th assault in Israel.  She doesn't do much of anything -- fake asses rarely do -- the lying alone wears her out and chafes her under carriage.  We covered her nonsense yesterday.  And we noted that January 9th, Dawn Clancy (PASS BLUE) reported:

She was invited by the government to visit the country more than a month ago to hear first-hand testimonies from Israeli survivors of sexual violence allegedly committed during the brutal Hamas and affiliated militia attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.

Patten, according to a press release in early December, had “responded positively” to the initial invitation to visit Israel. But it’s unclear if she will investigate alleged sexual violence and rape that was committed by the militias three months ago.

[Update, Jan. 10: UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that Patten would conduct a “mission” to Israel and the West Bank at the end of the month “to gather information on sexual violence, reportedly committed in the context of the attacks of 7 October and its aftermath” The mission “will be conducted in the exercise of her mandate, in accordance with her standard UN methodology.” She’ll be accompanied by experts in “safe and ethical interviewing, forensic evidence, digital analysis, and accountability,” but she is not mandated to “investigate”]


Yes, she was invited in by the Israeli government.  At a time when they were nixing other UN agencies, refusing to allow them to probe, they reached out specifically to Patten.  That tells you what you need to know about her.

The propaganda outlet YNET offers "Unbiased, professional and fair: the UN official behind Hamas sex crime report" the text of which is a full two paragraphs (that was sarcasm) and maybe that's because when she hides the fact that the government of Israel specifically chose her, that lack of disclosure influences how we see her and her non-findings based on information and her fat gut.

Hamas has issued the following response to Patten:


We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), reject and strongly condemn the report issued by U.N. official Pramila Patten, regarding the claim and allegations of Palestinian resistance fighters committing “rape and sexual violence” incidents during the events of October 7.

This came after failed “israeli” attempts to prove this false charge, which was confirmed to have no basis in truth, except to demonize the Palestinian resistance and to cover up the United Nations rapporteurs’ report about the existence of conclusive evidence of horrific human rights violations suffered by Palestinian women and girls by the “israeli” occupation forces. 

Despite Ms. Patten’s claims and her false and baseless accusations against the Palestinian fighters, her report did not document any testimony of what she calls victims of those cases, but relied in her report on “israeli” institutions, soldiers, and witnesses selected by the occupation authorities, to push toward trying to prove this false charge, which was refuted by all investigations and international reports. 

Ms. Patten’s claims are clearly contradicted by the testimonies of “israeli” women about the good treatment by the fighters towards them, as well as the testimonies of the released “israeli” female prisoners, and what they confirmed of the good treatment they received during their captivity in Gaza. 

This false accusation will not succeed in obscuring the ugliness and horror of the “israeli” crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the killing of about 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children, and civilians, in a mass crime and ethnic cleansing, and a deliberate disregard for the resolutions of the International Court of Justice and other international reports, which documented parts of the crimes and atrocities committed in Gaza by the new Nazis. 

Central Media Office for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine 

The statements made by U.N. Envoy Patton are disgraceful, false, and biased towards the entity.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has strongly condemned the statements made by U.N. Envoy Pramila Patton that accused “the resistance factions in Gaza of committing sexual violence crimes, torture, and harsh treatment against hostages and detainees on October 7.” These statements are shameful, far from the truth, and biased towards the entity.

The Front clarified that the purpose of these statements is to cover up the brutal crimes and practices of the occupation against our Palestinian people, which are fully documented by the United Nations and international institutions. By contrast, this U.N. envoy did not rely on any reliable evidence of the resistance factions having committed any such practices; instead, she relied on reports and testimonies of Zionist origin that have been proven false.

The Front added: “Since the beginning of its war of genocide on the [Gaza] Strip, the zionist enemy, in its attempt to justify this crime against the Strip, has spread lies and fabricated narratives and stories about the resistance factions on October 7. However, in light of the absence of clear evidence, the publication of fabricated videos, and their exposure to the global public opinion, it forced heads of states, international institutions, and media entities to apologize.”

The Front emphasized that the resistance, with testimonials from international institutions and even by the admission of the released detainees and hostages, ensured to uphold ethics and good treatment of detainees, providing all forms of comfort and even protecting them from Zionist bombing and treachery. 

At the same time, the world was shocked by the proven and documented reports and testimonies of the occupation committing sexual violence and torture against a large number of women during their arrest and detention in Khan Younis and other areas penetrated in the Gaza Strip.

The Front concluded its statement by calling on the U.N. envoy to retract and apologize for these dubious statements, to cease the double standard policy and equating the victim with the executioner, and to conduct a serious investigation into the ongoing practices of genocide in the Gaza Strip – not to cover up these crimes or attempt to absolve the occupation, which has been intensified due to the lawsuit filed by South Africa in the International Court of Justice, revealing the atrocious reality of these crimes to the entire world.



"What is the fate of the children suffering from hunger? Will they find someone to save them or will they die? My son Ali has already died."

The father of Ali, a Palestinian baby boy who recently died of malnutrition and dehydration at northern Gaza's only paediatrics hospital, has appealed for help for the other children being treated there, as the UN warns of famine if aid deliveries are not substantially increased.

"Ali was born in wartime and there was no food or anything for his mother to eat - a matter which caused his kidneys to fail," the man - who did not want to be named - said in an interview recorded for BBC Arabic's Gaza Lifeline radio service.

"Ali's life got worse day after day. We tried to get him treated at hospitals, but there was no help... Ali died in front of the entire world, which kept watching him pass away."


We stop it there because the BBC can't count.  That's it, right?  They wouldn't just be lying, right?  10 kids?  It was more than ten by the start of the work week.  But in the next paragraph the BBC wants to use ten.  Here's ALJAZEERA (and they can count):


The Palestinian Health Ministry says the death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza has risen to 18.

“The famine is deepening and will claim thousands of lives if the aggression is not halted and humanitarian and medical aid is not immediately brought in,” it said in a statement.

It added that Israel was “deliberately” starving thousands of hungry people in northern Gaza and called on the international community and the UN to halt the war and avoid a “health catastrophe”.


Gaza remains under assault. Day 152 of  the assault in the wave that began in October.  Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion.  The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction.  But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets:  How to justify it?  Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence."   CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund."  ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them."  NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza."  The slaughter continues.  It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service.  Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide."   The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher.  United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse."  ALJAZEERA notes, "The death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 30,717, with more than 72,156 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7."  Months ago,  AP  noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing."  February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home."  February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:







And the area itself?  Isabele Debre (AP) reveals, "Israel’s military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells."  Kieron Monks (I NEWS) reports, "More than 40 per cent of the buildings in northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a new study of satellite imagery by US researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek from Oregon State University and Corey Scher at the City University of New York. The UN gave a figure of 45 per cent of housing destroyed or damaged across the strip in less than six weeks. The rate of destruction is among the highest of any conflict since the Second World War."   

CNN reports this morning:


  • Starvation in Gaza: Israeli forces turned away a food aid convoy from traveling to northern Gaza on Tuesday, the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said. It comes after UN experts accused Israel of "intentionally starving the Palestinian people" in Gaza. The World Health Organization said limits to aid deliveries have resulted in roughly 90% of children under the age of 2 experiencing severe food poverty, with child malnutrition levels in northern Gaza being "particularly extreme." The main UN relief agency in the strip is unsure if it will be able to pay its staff so they can deliver food to Gazans. Multiple countries paused funding when some staffers with the agency were accused of taking part in the October 7 Hamas attack.
  • Food airdrops: The US and Jordan again airdropped meals into the enclave on Tuesday. The Pentagon said the US and its international partners are also considering a maritime corridor to get aid into Gaza. US ally Israel continues to obstruct the bulk of aid deliveries to the strip.
  • Aid line shooting: Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for aid on Monday night in northern Gaza, eyewitnesses told CNN. The shooting took place in Gaza City shortly before midnight, said one eyewitness, who had traveled there to try to get flour. A local journalist said there was "sporadic fire." CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. It’s unclear if there were any casualties. It comes after more than 100 Palestinians were killed trying to access food aid trucks amid Israeli gunfire in Gaza City last Thursday, according to Gaza health officials.

  • The following sites updated: