2023 Was Mostly Good, But Two Things Worry Me About 2024

When I wrote my year end dispatch for 2022, I declared it may have been the best year of my life. 

In so doing, I set myself a high bar. With just under 6 hours remaining in 2023, I can say that the past 12 months were mostly good. I am still where I want to be in my travails in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville and occasionally beyond. Aside from several trips to New York to see my Dad (as well as my older brother Ezra back in July), I also ventured out to Western Massachusetts to see June Millington play at a club in Amherst and stayed at an AirBnB for the very first time.

In 2023, I began posting #AaronsSongofTheDay2023 on my Facebook page. Today, I posted The Pointer Sisters' cover of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" in honor of the anniversary of Anita Pointer's passing. I plan to continue sharing more songs with #AaronsSongofTheDay2024 beginning tomorrow.

My employment situation remains very good, and I come and go as I please - although sometimes I don't have as much access to the kitchen as I would like. Fortunately, there are restaurants within a stone's throw of home. There are annoyances but they are easy enough to navigate.

I did have a significant health scare with a kidney stone which required 4 ER visits and 2 surgeries which took up late October and most of November. Most of that is behind me save for some post-op follow ups and, of course, the bills. Fortunately, I had a fair amount of OT in December and expect this to resume in mid-January. 

However, going into 2024, there are two things which worry me greatly - the future of American democracy and anti-Semitism in America. I did touch on these concerns a year ago:

Then there are concerns over the future of American democracy and the rising acceptance of anti-Semitism in this country. Sadly, these two things go hand in hand. 

While American voters denied Republicans a red wave in part over their insistence about overturning elections, we must remember a majority of Republicans led by defeated former President Trump insist on overturning elections. There are also a growing number of Americans of both right-wing and left-wing persuasion who while condemning anti-Semitism among their adversaries are willing to tolerate anti-Semitism among their own ranks. 

A year later, my concerns have grown exponentially on both fronts.

First, let's address the future of American democracy. Of course, much of this concern centers around defeated, former President Donald Trump. During 2023, Trump was indicted on 91 state and federal charges pertaining to his business practices in New York, withholding and refusing to return top secret classified documents, his role in inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021 to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as well as his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. 

Despite all of these things, Trump will become the Republican presidential nominee barring death and even that might not be enough. On top of this, it is more than plausible the American electorate will see fit to return him to office despite his unlawful behavior and his stated desire to adopt an authoritarian style of governance. Should this come to pass then we will deserve everything that is coming to us. The only people not deserving of this fate are the children who had no say in the matter.

There is a more frightening scenario. President Biden wins as he did in 2020, but if there is a Republican controlled House or Senate, I do not see those bodies certifying Biden's victory as they would make unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. This would throw the election with the House of Representatives. Even if Democrats were to take control of Congress, the majority of state delegations would likely remain under Republican control thus returning the nuclear codes to Trump. In this case, we would not have ourselves to blame as the will of the voters would be expressly denied.

Whatever the circumstances which could lead Trump returning to the White House on January 20, 2025, I believe he would invoke the Insurrection Act to impose martial law, rule by decree and suspend the U.S. Constitution. Such decrees would likely outlaw demonstrations and organizations perceived to be disloyal to Trump, a purge of civil servants, a shuttering of media outlets perceived as being disloyal to Trump and arbitrary detention and imprisonment of his critics real and imagined. I can easily envision a scenario in which during a State of the Union address, Trump takes a page out of Saddam Hussein's book and declares members of Congress, the military and the Supreme Court to be traitors and they are escorted out of the chamber forcibly and summarily executed.

Under such conditions, some might be tempted to move to Canada. Well, it is entirely possible Trump could see fit to restrict the movement of Americans in traveling aboard or even domestically. But even if that doesn't come to pass there is no guarantee Canada would be a safe haven. Because if the United States embraces authoritarianism, then other democratic countries will likely follow suit. It is quite plausible that Canadians would elect a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre who has embraced an authoritarian populism of his own. In Europe, there are already hard right governments in Hungary, Italy and possibly in The Netherlands. I believe that it is more than likely the French will elect Marine Le Pen as President come 2027. 

To some degree, I can understand why voters would abandon democracy for authoritarianism. Those who have lived in democracies their whole lives and are unhappy with their lot are susceptible to the lure of the easy answers of authoritarianism. Of course, easy answers are invariably the wrong answers. But once a country embraces authoritarianism, it is very difficult, if not impossible to go back to democracy. Not without bloodshed. Authoritarians do not voluntarily relinquish power. Contrary to Trump's claims, no dictatorship has lasted only a single day.

So, what if we re-elect Biden and his victory is certified? Obviously, this would be the best-case scenario. But while Trump might be defeated yet again, Trumpism won't be. So long as Trump continues to question the legitimacy of those who dare to reject him, then the Republican Party will go along with him. Nor do I think Trumpism will die when Trump does. From where I stand, Vivek Ramaswamy isn't running for the GOP nomination to defeat Trump but to be his heir apparent. And who will be President Biden's heir apparent?

As gravely concerned as I am about the 2024 election and the future of American democracy, I am even more concerned about anti-Semitism in America. 2023 will be the year that anti-Semitism came out in the open in this country. The Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7th ought to have resulted in sympathy for Israel and solidarity with Jews. While this is true for a majority of Americans, there is a critical mass in this country which openly celebrated the attacks placing the blame squarely on Israel not only absolving Hamas but championing their genocidal objectives.

While pro-Hamas demonstrators blockade highways leading to airports, disrupt the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and even killing a pro-Israel activist near Los Angeles, Jews must meet in secret to discuss how to combat anti-Semitism. This does not bode well for the future of American Jewry, and I believe things will get a lot worse before they get better.

And by the time things do get better there might be another Holocaust. I have long believed that as Holocaust survivors died and with fewer first-hand accounts of what happened there would be a resurgence in anti-Semitism leading to the subjugation of Jews in the course of making another attempt to eliminate us from the face of the Earth. I believe this campaign is now underway. 

Don't get me wrong. My life is good right now. But life is fragile as the COVID pandemic demonstrated. I survived it, but millions of others did not. The state of American democracy and anti-Semitism in America make for a fragile existence. Both of these matters, especially the latter, could disrupt and possibly end my life. Perhaps not in 2024. But perhaps far sooner than later.

With that, since the kitchen is occupied, I should probably go out and grab myself some dinner. Tomorrow, I shall begin 2024 with a laugh as I meet up with my old friend Christopher Kain to watch 7 hours' worth of Marx Brothers movies. Well, I got to start 2024 somewhere and enjoy it while I can.

Red Sox Deal Chris Sale To Braves

In a move out of left field, the Boston Red Sox have traded pitcher Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for infield prospect Vaughan Grissom. 

Sale, a first round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2010, was at one time one of the premier pitchers in the AL. After spending 2010 and 2011 as a reliever, the southpaw became a starter in 2012 and for the next 7 seasons was a perennial AL All-Star and Cy Young contender although he never won the award. 

Between 2012 and 2018, Sale went 99-59 with a 2.91 ERA fanning 1678 batters with only 300 walks in 1388 innings pitched. Prior to the 2017 season, Sale changed Sox going from Chicago to Boston in a trade for four players including pitcher Michael Kopech and infielder Yoan Moncada. In 2017, Sale had his finest season on the mound going 17-8 with a 2.90 striking out a league leading 308 batters in 214.1 innings pitched and finishing runner up to Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians in AL Cy Young balloting. In 2018, Sale would earn a World Series with the Bosox.

However, Sale's fortunes have declined since 2019. Prior to that season, Sale signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension through the 2024 season with a vesting option for 2025. Between 2019 and 2023, Sale only made 56 starts going 17-18 with a 4.16 ERA although he did fan 400 batters while walking only 79 in 298.1 innings pitched. Sale would miss the entire COVID shortened 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery.

In the grand scheme of things, this is probably a beneficial trade for both ballclubs. Sale enters 2024 with a career record of 120-80 with a 3.10 ERA along with 2189 strikeouts and only 416 walks in 1780.2 innings pitched. Sale, who turns 35 in March, joins a Braves rotation which includes 20-game winner Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, Max Fried and 40-year-old Charlie Morton. As such, Sale is not expected to be the ace of the staff. If Sale can pitch 150 innings and win 10 games, the Braves would be very happy with that indeed.

As for Vaughan Grissom, he is expected to become the Red Sox second baseman of the future. Ozzie Albies is ensconced at second base in Atlanta. Grissom, who turns 23 on January 5th, can also play shortstop but so can Orlando Arcia. He saw limited action with the Braves in 2022 and 2023 with 64 games played in which he collected 62 hits for .287 batting average with 5 HR and 27 RBI. In Boston, Grissom will get to play every day. But like any prospect, Grissom is yet to be tested so the Red Sox are assuming the greater risk.

The trade of Sale comes a day after the Red Sox signed veteran free agent pitcher Lucas Giolito. The Craig Breslow era is looking interesting.

Still, it is sad to see Sale sail away.

Frank Thomas Puts a Big Hurt on Fox News

Everybody makes mistakes. However, some are more prone to them than others. Exhibit A: Fox News. 

Now some of their mistakes are deliberate such as the ones they uttered about Dominion Voting Systems which cost them $787 million.

But others are just plain careless owing to a lack of diligence.

Enter Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas.

Yesterday, FOX News included Thomas in a year end "In Memoriam" segment on "The Faulkner Focus". 

The problem is they had the wrong Frank Thomas. 

The baseball playing Frank Thomas who died this year is not a Hall of Famer, but rather played 16 seasons during the 1950s and 1960s with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. That Frank Thomas earned three NL All-Star appearances with the Pirates in 1954, 1955 and 1958. Thomas would finish fourth in NL MVP balloting in 1958. This Frank Thomas died last January at the age of 93. 

However, Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is alive, well and rightly pissed off with Fox News. Thomas took to X to state:

Ladies and Gentlemen I’m very sorry my ex-employer Fox would be this irresponsible on National TV this morning. Yes I’m alive and doing well. This blows my mind also.

That's right!!! Thomas, 55, worked for Fox Sports from 2014 to 2022 before joining Apple TV + in 2023.

Thomas, who was known as The Big Hurt, played in MLB from 1990 through 2008 primarily with the Chicago White Sox where he earned back-to-back AL MVPs in 1993 and 1994. He also played with the Oakland A's and the Toronto Blue Jays. In 19 seasons, Thomas had a lifetime batting average of .301 with 521 HR and 1704 RBI. Thomas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2014 with 83.7% of the vote.

Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer. Fox News are Hall of Shamers.

Lucas Giolito Joins Red Sox With His Career at a Crossroads

Veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $38.5 million.

Giolito, 29, could opt out of the contract following the 2024 season and elect free agency. There is also a possibility a one-year option could be exercised for the 2026 season depending on how many innings he tosses in 2025. 

I think Giolito is at a career crossroads. There was a time when Giolito looked like he could be one of the elite pitchers of his era. Originally, a first-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals out of high school in 2012, Giolito made his MLB debut with the Nats in the 2016 season. 

Prior to the 2017 season, Giolito was one of three players sent to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Adam Eaton. In his first full season in the bigs in 2018, Giolito posted a ghastly 6.18 ERA and led the AL in earned runs (118) in walks (90). But Giolito would turn his fortunes around in 2019 posting a 14-9 record and a 3.41 ERA along with a career high 228 strikeouts in 176.2 inning pitched. Giolito led the AL in complete games (3) and shutouts (2) finishing sixth in AL Cy Young balloting earning his lone AL All-Star appearance. 

He would become a mainstay in the Chisox starting rotation the highlights of which included a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the COVID shortened campaign of 2020 and back-to-back post-season appearances in 2020 and 2021.

And then along came 2023. Giolito was 6-6 with a respectable 3.79 ERA in 21 starts for a mediocre White Sox team when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels shortly before the trade deadline in late July along with reliever Reynaldo Lopez. Oddly enough, Lopez was part of the trade package which brought him to the South Side of Chicago more than five years earlier. 

However, Giolito's journey with the Halos would end a little over a month later when he was put on waivers after going 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA in six starts. The Cleveland Guardians quickly snatched up Giolito but he continued to be ineffective. In six starts with the Guardians, Giolito went 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA. The 41 home runs Giolito surrendered led the AL. 

Giolito enters 2024 with a 61-62 record with a 4.43 ERA in 180 career games (178 of them starts) over parts of 8 seasons. In 1013.2 innings pitched, he has fanned 1077 batters against only 385 walks.

There is no question Giolito has good stuff. Even during his lackluster tenures with the Angels and Guardians, Giolito fanned 73 batters while walking only 31 over 63.1 innings pitched. Still, Giolito has lost 9 of his last 11 decisions since leaving the Chisox. Nevertheless, teams were interested in Giolito's services, and the Red Sox won out over the New York Mets. 

The Red Sox could prove to be the rejuvenation that Giolito needs. He still has a chance to become an elite pitcher. It could also be the continuation of an abrupt and irreversible decline. If it is the latter, then there is no tougher city to fall on your face in MLB than Boston - including New York. 

With that said, Giolito knows what he is up against and will be compensated handsomely. The question is will he sitting pretty?

If Netanyahu is a War Criminal, Then What Does That Make Hamas?

There is a piece in The New Republic which caught my attention. The piece is written by Hafiz Rashid and is titled, "Benjamin Netanyahu Is The War Criminal of the Year":

The man who bears the most responsibility for these war crimes is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It’s really rare for war criminals to just openly announce their actions,” said John Cox, professor of global studies and history at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, who also directs the Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Studies. That’s what’s “unique about Israel’s bombing in Gaza.”

Cox noted that this month marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the U.N.’s Genocide Convention. “[The war in Gaza] literally does take on genocidal proportions and potential, along with daily humiliations and affronts to human rights that Israel has been engaging in for 75 years,” Cox said.

On October 28, for example, Netanyahu referred to Gazans as Amalek, invoking a Biblical enemy. In 1 Samuel 15:1-35, the prophet Samuel tells the king, Saul, to “attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

When Rashid states, "Netanyahu referred to Gazans as Amalek" he links to an article in Mother Jones  penned on November 3rd by Noah Lanard who writes:

On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israelis were united in their fight against Hamas, whom he described as an enemy of incomparable cruelty. “They are committed to completely eliminating this evil from the world,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew. He then added: “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember.” 

To be clear, Lanard is no fan of Bibi. Yet Lanard makes it equally clear that Netanyahu is referring to Hamas, not to all Gazans much less all Palestinians. 

All of which begs this question. If Netanyahu is a war criminal, then what does that make Hamas?

After all, let's consider this portion of the Hamas Charter:

This Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS), clarifies its picture, reveals its identity, outlines it stand, explains its aims, speaks about it hopes, and calls for its support, adoption and joining its ranks. Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised. 

And let's further consider this passage:

The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the links in the chain of the struggle against the Zionist invaders. It goes back to 1939, to the emergence of the martyr Izz al-Din al Kissam and his brethren the fighters, members of Moslem Brotherhood. It goes on to reach out and become one with another chain that includes the struggle of the Palestinians and Moslem Brotherhood in the 1948 war and the Jihad operations of the Moslem Brotherhood in 1968 and after.

Moreover, if the links have been distant from each other and if obstacles, placed by those who are the lackeys of Zionism in the way of the fighters obstructed the continuation of the struggle, the Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to the realisation of Allah's promise, no matter how long that should take. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews."

On October 7, 2023, Hamas wantonly kidnapped, raped and killed civilians, Jews and non-Jews alike, in their opening salvo of war. Hamas made it very clear there would be more of these attacks. In an appearance on Lebanese television in October, Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad stated:

We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight. Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs. 

The existence of Israel is illogical. The existence of Israel is what causes all that pain, blood, and tears. It is Israel, not us. We are the victims of the occupation. Period. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October 1,000,000 – everything we do is justified.

So, when students at Harvard claim that Israel bears all responsibility for what happened on October 7th they are speaking Hamas' language and arguing that Hamas actions against Jewish civilians is justified. 

In that same spirit of malevolence, Hafiz Rashad and The New Republic become Hamas mouthpieces by claiming Netanyahu is a war criminal intent on genocide while pretending the genocide of Jews isn't Hamas' raison d'etre. 

To be sure, Benjamin Netanyahu has a great deal for which to answer regarding Israel's preparedness (to be precise its lack thereof) and there is justification for his resignation on those grounds. 

While Benjamin Netanyahu can be accused of many things, a war criminal is not among them. The same, however, cannot be said of Hamas.

Maine's Secretary of State Disqualifies Trump From Ballot; Will GOP Secretaries of State Do The Same With Biden?

Shenna Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State, has disqualified defeated, former President Trump from the state's 2024 election ballots due to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

Bellows, a Democrat, was thrice elected to the State Senate before being elected as Secretary of State three years ago. In anticipation of this decision, Trump's legal team asked that Bellows recuse herself.

Maine is one of two states (along with Nebraska) which apportions its electoral college votes. In both the 2016 and 2020 elections, Trump won one electoral vote in Maine from its 2nd Congressional District. It is the only electoral college vote Trump has received from any of the New England states in either election. 

Frankly, I don't expect Bellows decision to withstand judicial scrutiny any more than I do with last week's decision by the Colorado Supreme Court to keep Trump off the ballot. 

However, the fact an elected official has seen fit to keep Trump off the ballot makes me think a Republican Secretary of State would likely do the same to President Biden. Texas GOP Lt. Governor Dan Patrick called for Biden to be removed from the Lone Star State's ballot because of border crossings from Mexico following Colorado's decision last week. 

Of course, Patrick is calling for Biden's removal because of policy differences whereas Trump attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Nevertheless, Bellows decision will likely embolden and encourage a Republican office holder to retaliate against President Biden. 

Six Thoughts on Haley's Slavery Gaffe in New Hampshire

As you probably know by now Nikki Haley had a bad night at a town hall meeting in Berlin, New Hampshire yesterday.

An audience member asked Haley what caused the civil war. Haley hemmed and hawed:

I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run - the freedoms and what people could and couldn't do. 

I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are. And I will always stand by the fact I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people.

Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life. They don't need to tell you what you can and can't do. They don't need to be a part of your life. They need to make sure that you have freedom. We need to have capitalism. We need to have economic freedom. We need to make sure that we do all things so that individuals have the liberties so that they can have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do or be anything they want to be without government getting in the way.

The audience member then interjected stating he found it "astonishing" that Haley had made no mention of "slavery". Haley replied, "What do you want me to say about slavery?" The voter retorted, "You answered my question. Thank you." 

Here are six thoughts on the aftermath of the controversy.

First, the Republican Party was founded to stop the spread of slavery. As Abraham Lincoln said, "If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is." If a Republican presidential candidate is asked about the Civil War and cannot bring himself or herself to speak of the evil of slavery for fear of offending a portion of their constituency then you know how Trumpism has thoroughly rotted the Republican Party.

Second, for her part, Haley insists the culprit is "a Democratic plant."  There is no evidence to support her claim. But let us say for argument's sake that her claim is correct. If Haley cannot handle a question from "a Democratic plant" then how is she going to handle Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or for that matter, Trump? Let me add President Biden while I'm at it. The fact is Haley was thrown a softball and she whiffed and now she is trying to argue balls and strikes. Now we have word that a 9-year old in North Conway, New Hampshire called Haley "the new John Kerry". Is she going to call this kid a Democratic plant?

Third, this is Ron DeSantis' best day in six months. A DeSantis spokesperson stated, “If she can’t handle a question as basic as the cause of the Civil War, what does she think is going to happen to her in a general election. The Democrats would eat her lunch.” Don't get me wrong. It's too late for DeSantis, a man who cannot tolerate questions from 15-year old boys. Still, for once, a candidate other than DeSantis is showing ineptitude on the campaign trail.

Fourth, Vivek Ramaswamy must be doing back flips. Given the enmity between the two which at one point saw Haley calling Ramaswamy "scum" after invoking her daughter, Ramaswamy is loving every moment of seeing Haley sweat. For his part, Ramaswamy was relatively mild on the slavery gaffe stating, "I think she mistook him for a Super PAC donor." Still, a bad day for Nikki Haley is a good day for Vivek Ramaswamy.

Fifth, the GOP presidential aspirant who stands the most to gain from Haley's gaffe is Chris Christie. In recent days, Christie has been called upon to drop out of the race so as to help Haley against Trump. In light of Haley's gaffe, perhaps anti-Trump Republicans in New Hampshire will turn to Christie. Not that it will help get within 10 points of Trump or fight beyond the Granite State, but Haley's gaffe does give Christie some oxygen.

Finally, then there is Trump himself. There's a very good chance that Haley won't recover from this gaffe and that her numbers will slide. But as daft as Haley's answer was concerning the Civil War, let us not forget that Trump is the man who has said immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country". But all Trump has to do is feign he didn't know Hitler had used this phrase and it is just another Thursday. The sad fact is that when it comes to politics (and perhaps when it comes to the law) there is one set of rules for Donald Trump and for everyone else as Nikki Haley is now finding out the hard way.

Boebert Gropes For Her Political Future By Switching Congressional Districts in Colorado

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert announced this evening that rather than seek a third term in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, she will instead seek the GOP nomination in Colorado's 4th Congressional District. 

In so doing, the 37-year old Congresswoman will go from a district which covers Colorado's Western Slope and cities like Pueblo and Aspen and borders New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming to a district which encompasses the Eastern Plains and borders Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. It's not exactly going across town. Boebert lives hundreds of miles from her new district.

It is obvious that Boebert doesn't think she will win in Colorado's 3rd. After all, she narrowly defeated Adam Frisch in the 2022 mid-terms by only 546 votes and would likely have faced Frisch yet again. It is also quite possible Boebert thought she was vulnerable to Republican upstart Jeff Hurd, an attorney based in Grand Junction, who has been doing an effective job of fundraising and getting endorsements. 

Colorado's 4th Congressional District became an attractive option for Boebert when incumbent Ken Buck announced last month that he would not seek re-election. However, there are several Republicans already vying for the seat and many GOPers will view Boebert as an opportunistic carpetbagger. Boebert's best chance of winning the nomination is if she gets defeated, former President Trump's endorsement. Should she win the nomination then she will win the seat which is the safest GOP seat in the Rocky Mountain state.

Boebert has been a loose cannon since her ardent embrace of QAnon conspiracy theories during her first election in 2020. She is also well known as an Evangelical fundamentalist who is anti-LGBTQ and opposes the separation of church and state. 

However, her reputation in Republican circles took a hit back in September when she was caught on videotape at a performance of Beetlejuice in Denver where she was vaping and getting very, very handsy with her date. Now she is grasping for support. Or should I say groping.

The best-case scenario would be for Boebert's gambit to crash and burn. In which case, she'll be a footnote like Madison Cawthorn. Yet it must be emphasized that the independent variable is Trump. When Trump endorsed Boebert for her re-election bid he called her "a fearless leader."

If Trump isn't going to go gentle into that good night, then neither is Boebert.

But if Trump doesn't give Boebert his blessing then she might be groping at straws.

Jewish Billboard in Worcester, Massachusetts Defaced With Pro-Hamas Slogans

 

This morning, a billboard overlooking 1-290 in Worcester, Massachusetts was defaced with pro-Hamas slogans.

The billboard, which had been sponsored by JewBelong.com, read, "Let's be clear: Hamas is your problem too."

Vandals climbed onto the billboard and obscured the words "your problem too" and replaced it with "Freeing Palestine". 

A note was also added which read, "Israel murdered 25,000 people."

Within hours, the billboard had been replaced with one sponsored by the National Transportation Safety Board. 

While it is true that Hamas does not represent all Palestinians, we must acknowledge a great many Palestinians (along with their allies) support Hamas as demonstrated by this defaced billboard.

This means there are a great many Palestinians along with their allies who agree with the statement, "Let's be clear Hamas is freeing Palestine." And when they say freeing Palestine, they mean killing Jews and destroying Israel. 

When you support Hamas, you support those who engaged in kidnapping, rape and murder including burning people alive and dismemberment of people both Jewish and non-Jewish alike. 

Meanwhile, Massachusetts State Police are investigating the matter. Although the damage has been done, we can still hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Trump Really Isn't Into Peace & Goodwill Towards All Men

I don't think it comes as a surprise to most people that defeated, former President Trump would compose a Christmas message wishing that those who do not share his view of the world "rot in hell":

Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith, the out of control Lunatic who just hired outside attorneys, fresh from the SWAMP (unprecedented!), to help him with his poorly executed WITCH HUNT against ‘TRUMP’ and ‘MAGA,’

Included also are World Leaders both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and ‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's very clear that Trump really isn't into peace and goodwill towards all men. That might not be such a problem if a good many of us weren't prepared to return him to the White House.

Let me put it this way. Who in the world do you know talks the way Trump talks? The only such people who would talk in this way are a small coterie of homeless people who are off their meds and discontented relatives angry at the world and everything in it. When we encounter such people most of us stay as far away as possible. 

I suspect that even among most people who intend to vote for Trump yet again would not be inclined to tolerate such behavior from anyone else be it family or stranger. So why are such qualities something we would tolerate in a man in charge of our nuclear codes? 

As I stated at the outset, I don't think anyone is surprised that Trump would utter such excretions. But when a man seeking the Oval Office does utter such excretions it is incumbent upon us to decry this behavior and say no to Donald Trump whether he wants to hear it or not.

"The Iron Claw" is a Gripping Film

On Saturday night, I went to the Somerville Theatre to see The Iron Claw starring Zac Efron. 

When I entered the Somerville Theatre, the atmosphere was raucous coming from inside the main theatre. There was a performance of The Slutcracker. Yes, this has been a thing at the Somerville Theatre for 15 years. No, I don't have plans to go see it. Perhaps if I were invited, but I don't think this is a likely scenario.

With the main theatre occupied, I was directed downstairs to Theatre 3 which seats 111 people. When I entered Theatre 3, I had the place to myself. This has happened to me once before in July 2022 when I was the lone viewer for Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down documentary. However, a few minutes before Theatre 3 went dark another gentleman made his way in and sat on the opposite side of the theatre. 

For those who don't know The Iron Claw is about the Von Erich family who are legendary figures in the world of professional wrestling. The title of the movie is based on the family's finishing hold. Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), based in Dallas, had its hey-day during the late 1970's and early 1980's when brothers Kevin, David and Kerry ruled the roost and gained a worldwide audience most notably with their feud with The Fabulous Freebirds. Two other Von Erichs brothers - Mike and Chris also had brief careers.

Sadly, with the exception of Kevin Von Erich, none of the brothers made it out of their 30's. David died in a hotel room in Tokyo in February 1984 of an intestinal infection at the age of 25. His death came months before he was booked to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair. That honor would be bestowed upon Kerry in May 1984 at Texas Stadium although Flair would regain the title in Tokyo 18 days later.

Brothers Mike, Chris and Kerry each committed suicide. Mike took his own life with an overdose of alcohol and pills in April 1987 at the age of 23. Chris and Kerry took their lives by shotgun in 1991 and 1993 at the ages of 21 and 33, respectively. Curiously, Chris Von Erich is never acknowledged in the film although the eldest Von Erich Jack, Jr. who died during childhood is mentioned throughout. 

Under the circumstances, the film is told through Kevin's point of view as played by Zac Efron in an extraordinary performance. Efron put on 15 pounds of muscle through intensive diet, workout and wrestling. He needed that extra weight to carry this movie on those newly broad shoulders and the burdens of being the last surviving Von Erich who could never please his demanding father as played by Holt McCallany with exceptional single-minded cruelty. In The Iron Claw, Fritz Von Erich is portrayed as a man who demanded everything from his sons to fulfill his dreams but would not lift a finger if they turned to him for help. 

Maura Tierney was nearly unrecognizable as Doris Von Erich bottling up every emotion and feeling. Kevin Von Erich's wife Pamela was portrayed by Lily James. I knew I recognized her from somewhere but couldn't get a grip from where I had seen her before. When I saw her name in the credits it finally clicked. I remember her from her portrayal of Lady Rose Aldridge in Downton Abbey. In The Iron Claw, the British born blonde sports dark hair and a Southern accent. 

While The Iron Claw is a gripping film, it is one of the most depressing movies you will ever see. It is not for the faint of heart even for those who know of the curse of the Von Erich family. Another note of sadness in the movie comes during a match between Kevin and David Von Erich against Gino Hernandez and Bruiser Brody. Both Hernandez and Brody also did not meet peaceful ends. Hernandez died of an apparent drug overdose in 1986 at the age of 28. Rumors have persisted that Hernandez was murdered. While it cannot be conclusively demonstrated that Hernandez was murdered, the same cannot be said for Brodie who was stabbed to death by fellow wrestler Jose Gonzalez (a.k.a. Invader #1) prior to a wrestling event in Puerto Rico in 1988. Brodie was 42. 

In a movie so full of darkness and tragedy, the only bright note came at the very end when there was a picture depicting the Von Erich with Kevin as patriarch along with Pam, their four children (including Marshall and Ross who are professional wrestlers) and nine grandchildren on their estate in Hawaii. 

On a personal note, I communicated with Kevin Von Erich on a couple of occasions when I was on Twitter a few years ago. Our communication primarily centered on Von Erich's affinity for Israel which is not mentioned in the movie. I remember him telling me that he planned to have his last match in Israel with his sons which he did in 2017. I have no doubt that Israel is deep in Von Erich's mind.

As for Zac Efron, I think those broad shoulders could carry home an Oscar.

A Tale of Two Polls in NH: One Poll Has Haley Within 4 Points of Trump; The Other Has Trump Leading Haley By 30

One month from today, Republicans in New Hampshire go to the polls. 

Much is being made of a poll from the American Research Group released on December 21st which shows former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley within 4 points of defeated, former President Trump (33% to 29%). 

However, a poll released by UMass Lowell and in conjunction with YouGov that same day paints a very different picture. The UMass Lowell poll has Trump ahead of Haley by 30 points (52% to 22%). 

Not surprisingly Trump doesn't think much of the former poll calling it a scam. Of course, Trump calling something a scam is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Nevertheless, there is a significant difference between a gap of 30 points and a gap of 4 points. I don't think the American Research Group poll is so much a scam as it is an outlier. 

While Trump might not beat Haley by 30 points on primary night, unless other polling suggests a closer race, I think Trump will beat Haley by double digits in New Hampshire in a month from now.

However, if a week in politics is a lifetime, a month is an eternity. 

With that said, I think it would take an eternity for Haley to overcome Trump among Republican voters.

Why I'm Not Surprised Obama Intervened To Save Harvard President Claudine Gay's Job

In a story broken by the Jewish Insider, former President Obama evidently saved embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay's job:

According to a source familiar with the matter, Obama, a Harvard graduate, had privately lobbied on Gay’s behalf as she faced pressure to resign in the wake of her disastrous appearance before the congressional hearing on antisemitism. “It sounded like people were being asked to close ranks to keep the broader administration stable — including its composition,” the source, who was informed of Obama’s outreach and asked to speak anonymously to discuss a confidential matter, told JI on Tuesday.

Gay has been under fire not only for her response to anti-Semitism on campus since Hamas attack against Israel on October 7th and subsequent disastrous testimony before Congress, but also amid allegations of plagiarism.  

I cannot say I'm surprised Obama lobbied on Gay's behalf. I'm not surprised in part because here is the first African American U.S. President sticking up for the first African American Harvard President. But I'm also not surprised given Obama's long held antipathy towards Israel and general indifference to the plight of Jews. Even in Israel's darkest hour, Obama engaged in moral equivalence:

What Hamas did was horrific, and there’s no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians is unbearable.

Aside from the fact that Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005, Israeli soldiers have never deliberately executed Palestinians in their own homes, engaged in rape, burning and mutilation much less brag about it on social media.  

Let us not forget that Obama characterized the deliberate murder of Jews at the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Paris in 2015 as "random". 

Obama just doesn't care much for Jews. Neither does Gay and it shows. 

However, if Gay does resign it will not be because of her tolerance of anti-Semitism, but because the plagiarism accusations keep piling up. Even former President Obama's word only goes so far.

Pro-Hamas Mob Confronts Democratic Congressman Thanedar Sending Elderly African-American Woman to Hospital

Shri Thanedar, a freshman Democratic Congressman from Michigan has been outspoken in his support of Israel since the 10/07 attacks by Hamas.

As a result, Thanedar has been a target of pro-Hamas mobs such as the one which demonstrated in front of his home at midnight a few days ago. 

There was also an incident on December 16th when he was confronted by a pro-Hamas mob at a pub in Detroit where he was holding a holiday party. They chanted, "Shri, you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!"

The pro-Hamas mob became violent and ended up hospitalizing an elderly African-American Democratic Party activist Bobbie Avington-Johnson who sustained two black eyes. Avington-Johnson remains hospitalized as of this writing.

It's bad enough that the pro-Hamas element has disrupted everyday life with its hateful presence but is also willing to brazenly commit violence against elderly women. They don't care who they harm. 

Unfortunately, it is harbinger of what is to come. Perhaps tragedy can be averted if we are more vocal against their hooliganism and invasion of our personal space while taking further security precautions. 

Ohio Woman Who Had Miscarriage Charged With a Felony

Brittany Watts, a 33-year-old resident of Warren, Ohio (about 15 miles northwest of Youngstown) had a miscarriage last September. Now Watts is being charged with a felony for "abuse of a corpse".

Watts had a series of hospital visits for vaginal bleeding. She subsequently gave birth to a stillborn fetus in her home and disclosed this information to the hospital.

Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment enshrining reproductive rights in November. However, since Watts' miscarriage took place in September, she is subject to the previous law. 

However, there must be a suspicion that Watts would not have been charged at all if the U.S. Supreme Court hadn't overturned Roe v. Wade. Further complicating matters is that Watts is African-American which also raises questions as to whether she would have faced charges if she was white. 

For a county in Ohio to prosecute a woman for having a miscarriage on top of adult women in Texas and in Kentucky having to petition courts to obtain abortions is only going to further encourage female voters to continue the trend of voting for Democratic candidates which began in earnest during the 2022 mid-terms only months after Dobbs supplanted Roe. 

Whatever reservations voters might have about President Biden will be mitigated in great part by Republicans who gleefully insist upon treating women with cruelty effectively rendering them as second-class citizens without basic bodily autonomy. 

I Cant See The U.S. Supreme Court Upholding Colorado Supreme Court Ruling Barring Trump From Ballot

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled today that defeated, former President Trump cannot be on the state's ballot for inciting the insurrection which attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021. 

The Court ruled on the basis of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

The Colorado Supreme Court overturned a ruling last month by Denver District Court judge Sarah Wallace who, while agreeing that Trump incited an insurrection, ruled the provision of the Constitution did not apply to the President of the United States.  

I strongly suspect the conservative dominated U.S. Supreme Court will concur with Judge Wallace and overthrow the Colorado Supreme Court's decision. They will narrowly interpret the Constitution and rule the "elector of President" is not the same as the President. 

If the U.S. Supreme Court were to concur with the Colorado Supreme Court's decision, then other states would invariably follow suit as Michigan and Minnesota have tried to do previously and unsuccessfully. An affirmation of the Colorado Supreme Court decision would inspire blue states to disqualify Trump and very likely red states to disqualify President Biden based on the current impeachment attempt. 

At the end of the day, Trump will have to defeated at the polls yet again even if he refuses to accept such a verdict. 

Why Israeli Ambassador to UK Hotovely is Right & UK PM Sunak is Wrong About The Two-State Solution

In a recent interview with Sky News, Israeli Ambassador to the U.K. Tzipi Hotovely stated her opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state:

Israel knows today, and the world should know now that the Palestinians never wanted to have a state next to Israel.

They want to have a state from the river to the sea. They are saying it loud and clear.

It's now two months after the war started. The Palestinian Authority didn't condemn this massacre. It's such a big problem.

Hotovely's comments drew a rebuke from U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who stated, “We don’t agree with that. Our longstanding position remains the two-state solution is the right outcome here."

So, what exactly is Sunak's disagreement with Hotovely apart from the implementation of a two-state solution?

Does Sunak disagree that the Palestinians have never wanted to have a state with Israel?

Does Sunak disagree that the Palestinians want a state from the river to the sea?

Does Sunak disagree that the Palestinian Authority didn't condemn Hamas attack against Israel on October 7th?

If Sunak doesn't disagree with Hotovely's main points, then he is being disingenuous. 

However, if Sunak does disagree with Hotovely's main points, then he is being dishonest. 

Even if Israel were to have a new government along the lines of the coalition between Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid and Mansour Abbas, the Palestinians aren't going to agree to a two-state solution with Israel be it Hamas or Fatah. 

The Palestinians, who are taught to hate Jews from cradle to grave and think of Jews as apes and pigs, do not want anything to do with Israel in any way, shape or form.

No amount of disagreement with Hotovely or wishful thinking about a two-state solution by PM Sunak is going to change that fact. 

Trump Evokes Hitler By Claiming Migrants Are "Poisoning The Blood Of Our Country"

During a rally last night in Durham, New Hampshire, defeated, former President Donald Trump said this of migrants coming to the United States:

They let — I think the real number is 15, 16 million people into our country. When they do that, we got a lot of work to do. They’re poisoning the blood of our country. That’s what they’ve done. They poison mental institutions and prisons all over the world, not just in South America, not just to three or four countries that we think about, but all over the world. They’re coming into our country from Africa, from Asia, all over the world.

For bad measure, Trump took to "Truth Social":

Illegal immigration is poisoning the blood of our nation. They’re coming from prisons, from mental institutions — from all over the world.

Trump's use of the term "poisoning the blood" is paraphrasing Hitler who used the term "blood poisoning" in Mein Kempf. Hitler wrote, “All great cultures of the past perished only because the originally creative race died out from blood poisoning.” 

Trump also used the term "blood poisoning" in an interview with the far-right National Pulse in October:

Nobody has ever seen anything like we're witnessing right now. It is a very sad thing for our country. It's poisoning the blood of our country. It's so bad, and people are coming in with disease. People are coming in with every possible thing that you could have.

Trump is making his blood and soil nationalism plain for everyone to see. Yet in so doing, he is rallying people to his side. 

Let us not forget the first thing Trump said after descending the escalator at Trump Tower in June 2015:

When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best....They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

Instead of that ending his presidential aspirations right then and there, the MAGA movement was born. Its cancer has spread and has metastasized among a significant portion of the U.S. population which believes Trump won an election he lost and was willing to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

Look for Trump to continue the term "poisoning the blood" and, in so doing, make it a normal part of our deteriorating political discourse. 

President Biden has condemned Trump's use of the term "poisoning the blood" and his use of the term "vermin" (yet another term used by Hitler) to describe his political opponents and will do again and again.

The question is will anyone listen and vote accordingly?

Haley is 15 Points Behind Trump in NH....That's Not a Surge

I'm not sure why the media wants to make the GOP race a horse race despite all evidence to the contrary. But there's always a story to tell whether or not it's true.

In this particular case, it the so-called "surge" of Nikki Haley against Donald Trump in New Hampshire in a new CBS/YouGov poll. In the poll, Haley is at 29% of likely Republican voters. Not bad, but Trump is at 44%. 

Haley did better in this poll than in a Trafalgar Group poll which had Trump leading Haley by 27 points (45.1% to 18.1%). I'm sure NH GOP Governor Chris Sununu's endorsement doesn't hurt her. Nevertheless, Trump is still leading Haley by double digits in the Granite State. Come talk to me should Haley come within 4 points of Trump within the next 30 days.

Even then, in order for that to matter Haley has to beat Trump in New Hampshire which would give her some genuine momentum in her home state of South Carolina. But MAGA Republicans are still going to run through a wall for Trump and rebuild it for him. They will do no such thing for Haley. 

Unless Haley somehow knocks off Trump, I am operating on the assumption that Trump is going to be GOP nominee. 

Paul Ryan Calling Trump "An Authoritarian Narcissist" Means Nothing Unless He Endorses Biden

A few days ago, former House Speaker Paul Ryan made headlines when he called defeated, former President Donald Trump "an authoritarian narcissist."

Ryan's comment came in a podcast interview last month with Kevin Kajiwara in which he also praised Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. 

The comments from Ryan earned praise from the likes of Charlie Sykes of The Bulwark and Rick Wilson of The Lincoln Project.

While Ryan's comments are all well and good, they won't mean anything if he goes ahead and votes for Trump in 2024 or decides to write in Nikki Haley on his ballot.

Our choice is between President Biden and the Authoritarian Narcissist. 

Whose side are you on, Paul Ryan?

Remy The Cat Is The Only Good Thing About Harvard

 

As some of you know might know, I reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts and live about a 15-minute walk away from the main campus of Harvard University.

Since Hamas attack of Israel on October 7th, Harvard has been one of the epicenters in the surge of anti-Semitism in the United States with various student organizations condoning the attacks while simultaneously blaming Israel for it. 

From the outset, Harvard President Claudine Gay has been unwilling to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism on campus and has been unwilling to discipline those who bully, harass and intimidate Jewish students up to and including her embarrassing testimony before Congress earlier this month as well as of that MIT President Sally Kornbluth and UPenn President Liz Magill, who subsequently resigned. The only thing which has been unequivocal is Harvard standing behind Gay. Meanwhile, the threats of genocide against Jews continue with acts such as the occupation of Widener Library. 

Frankly, the only good thing about Harvard is Remy the Cat who has been a fixture on campus for the better part of the past decade. If it weren't for Remy, then I would avoid Harvard altogether.

Since my return to the area in May 2021, I have had the privilege of seeing Remy five times. One of those privileges took place yesterday afternoon. Three of the previous four times I saw Remy was in and around the Barker Center. I was on my way to the Barker Center when I saw Remy emerge from the Lamont Library. It was the first time I had seen him in over a year. 

Remy made his way towards me. A small crowd soon formed, and a photo shoot ensued. Those who dwell on campus know of Remy's legend. Yet there are those who don't know of Remy. One woman was astonished at the sight asking, "Is that a cat?" "It sure is. It's Remy," I replied before Remy made his way down the stairs to Harvard Yard.

Seeing a cat stroll the campus of the oldest university in the United States of his own volition is a sight to behold. One cannot help but stop and look in wonder and amusement. Not only does the sight of Remy bring me joy it also brings me joy to see the joy he brings out in other people. Remy is probably the only thing which could prompt those on either side of the Israel-Hamas War to set aside their differences - even if only for a minute or two.

Needless to say, joy has been in very short supply at Harvard over the past couple of months and this is unlikely to change so long as President Gay remains in office and anti-Semitism is tolerated on campus. 

If not for Remy, then I dare say there would be no joy at Harvard at all.

Is Oakland The Most Anti-Semitic City in America?

Since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7th, anti-Semitism has exploded in the United States.

One city in particular which has seen some notable anti-Semitic incidents is Oakland, California.

Late last month, there was a disgraceful display of pro-Hamas cheerleading at an Oakland City Council meeting which passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza while the Council defeated an amendment which would have condemned Hamas. 

Days later, a Jewish woman is harassed by three employees at an Oakland coffee shop trying to prevent her from documenting anti-Semitic graffiti in a bathroom. 

Then earlier this week, amid Chanukah, a menorah was dismantled, vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti with parts of it thrown into Lake Merritt. 

Oakland is one of the most left-wing cities in the U.S. and, at the very least, the first two incidents can definitively be attributed to left-wing anti-Semitism. 

Given these recent events one must ask if Oakland has the dubious distinction of being America's most anti-Semitic city. It will be interesting to see which jurisdictions experienced the most anti-Semitism in 2023, but I have a strong feeling Oakland will be high on the list.

Will Shaye Moss & Ruby Freeman Also Sue Trump After Sucessful Verdict Against Giuliani?

Yesterday, a jury awarded Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman $148 million in damages in their defamation lawsuit against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The award far exceeds the damages they were seeking which ranged between $15.5 million and $43 million. Naturally, Giuliani will appeal the decision to reduce the penalty but that is all he can do. Last July, Giuliani admitted making false statements about Moss and Freeman. Giuliani accused the pair of engaging in election fraud while counting ballots at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta during the 2020 election. He also engaged in racial demagoguery when he asserted the two passed USB drives "as if they were vials of heroin or crack cocaine."

When the two testified in front of the January 6th Committee in June 2022, I was moved by their testimony and made the argument they should sue both Giuliani and defeated, former President Trump. After all, Trump amplified Giuliani's claims repeatedly during his infamous phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on January 2, 2021. 

The question is whether Moss and Freeman will also sue Trump. In her testimony before the January 6th Committee, Freeman stated:

Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States to target you? The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American. Not to target one. He targeted me. A proud American citizen who stood up to help Fulton County run an election in the middle of a pandemic.

During her statement following the verdict, Freeman said, "Today is not the end of the road. We still have work to do. Rudy Giuliani was not the only one who spread lies about us and others must be held accountable too. But that is tomorrow's work."

This tells me that defeated, former President Trump is tomorrow's work. Trump might have a great deal more to fear from Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss than he does from either Fani Willis or Jack Smith. 

Another Suspect Charged in Murder of Detroit Jewish Community Leader Samantha Woll

Earlier this week, there was an arrest made in connection with the murder of Detroit Jewish community leader Samantha Woll. 

The suspect has been identified as Michael Jackson-Bolanos, who according to police, stabbed Woll to death during an invasion of her East Detroit home. Evidently Woll's blood was found on Jackson-Bolanos' jacket.

I'm not sure how Jackson-Bolanos gets out from under that unless his defense attorney can establish the jacket belongs to someone else. In any case, the attorney is pointing out that Detroit Police arrested a different suspect last month - someone who was known to Woll and attended the Downtown Detroit Isaac Agree Synagogue. 

When Woll was murdered in October shortly after Hamas attack against Israel, Detroit PD asserted anti-Semitism wasn't a motive. When I first commented on the case, I explored this possibility and came up with these possibilities:

But for the sake of argument, let us suppose anti-Semitism wasn't the motive. What are the other scenarios?

A) Woll was randomly stabbed to death by a complete stranger.

B) Woll was murdered in a robbery gone bad.

C) Woll was murdered by someone she knew who was angry with her for either personal or financial reasons. 

D) Someone was hired to kill Woll for personal or financial reasons.

Well, last month Detroit Police picked C. Now they've shifted to B (with a little bit of A). So, how did the Detroit Police go from being convinced the suspect was someone who knew her well to a suspect she never knew? 

The fact that this happened doesn't inspire confidence and raises the possibility of reasonable doubt. With all the twists which have taken place in less than two months, I would not be shocked if there was yet another twist.

I would not be surprised if Woll's murder becomes a future episode of Law & Order.  

The Impeachment Inquiry Against President Biden is Made of The Same Whole Cloth as 2020 Election Denialism

On Wednesday, House Republicans unanimously approved an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

What impeachable conduct President Biden is supposed to have committed remains a mystery. The best James Comer has come up with thus far is that Biden loaned his son Hunter money to pay for Ford Raptor while he was out of public office in 2018. 

The GOP impeachment inquiry against President Biden is made of the same whole cloth as claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The problem, however, is there are a significant number of Americans who believe the 2020 election was stolen despite all the evidence to the contrary. As such there are a significant number of Americans who believe President Biden has committed an impeachable offense despite all evidence to the contrary. At the very minimum, the GOP is going to try to convince voters that Biden's imagined transgressions are just as bad as defeated, former President Trump's real transgressions. 

One can only hope that a majority of Americans will see through the charade. They might not particular like President Biden or agree with his policies. But they can see that he hasn't used his office for personal gain, didn't refuse to return top secret classified documents much less share them with people who weren't supposed to see them, didn't summon his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol or attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election. One can only hope that will be enough.

Six Observations About The Boston City Council Holiday Party Which Excluded Its White Members

As you might know, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu held a holiday party last night for "elected of colors" from the Boston City Council. Before I give my thoughts consider this excerpt from NBC10 Boston:

It all started with an email sent out by a city employee on Tuesday on behalf of Mayor Michelle Wu, inviting all city councilors to an "Electeds of Color Holiday Party" being held Wednesday night. About 15 minutes later, the same staffer sent out an email apologizing for sending out the invite to all city councilors. The mayor said the party is just intended for minority elected officials. 

"There are many, many events that are private events for all different sorts of groups, so we've clarified that and look forward to seeing everyone at one of the dozens of other opportunities to celebrate the holidays together," Wu said Wednesday, just hours before the party.

"I think we all have been in a position at one point where an email went out and there was a mistake in the recipients, so there was truly just an honest mistake that happened in issuing the invitation," she added.

Wu said the "Electeds of Color Holiday Party" has been held for more than a decade without any issues.

After Wednesday's City Council meeting, two councilors attending the event defended the party.

"It is not at all divisive, it is creating spaces for people, and communities and identities with shared experiences to come together," said Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston city councilor-at-Large. "We are still breaking barriers and it is so important for us to carve out and create that space."

Outgoing City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo agreed

"I think someone wanted to make this inflammatory, and they have clearly succeeded -- I have two microphones in my face asking me about an annual holiday party and whether or not I should care about their feelings that there is a holiday party for people of color they weren't invited to because they don't share those experiences," he said. 

"The fact of the matter is much-to-do about nothing in terms of having a holiday party," Arroyo added. "In no way is it supposed to be divisive, causing any friction, and in my experience most of my colleagues are aware the EOC exists."

So here are six observations.

1. Let's be very clear. Had the late Tom Menino or Marty Walsh held a holiday party for the Boston City Council and only its white members had been invited then there would have been holy hell to pay, and heads would have rolled. Wu was a member of Boston City Council from 2014 through 2021. I cannot imagine she would have been happy about being excluded from a gathering of fellow Boston City Councilors based on the color of her skin.

2. Wu isn't apologizing for having the party, but rather for inviting the wrong people. Again, if such a party had been held exclusively for white members of the Boston City Council. Had Wu received such an invitation knowing she was not to be included on account of her race, she would have raised hell and rightly so.

3. The fact that "Elected of Colors" Holiday party has been going on for a decade doesn't make it right. That argument certainly wouldn't hold water had there been a tradition of having a holiday gathering intended exclusively for white members of the Boston City Council.

4. Councilors Louijeune and Arroyo claim there is nothing divisive about this gathering yet in the same breath insist that spaces must be carved out because white city councilors don't share their experiences. Somehow, I doubt Louijeune and Arroyo would be amused if their white colleagues held their own party and excluded because they didn't share their experiences.  Today, it's separate holiday parties. Tomorrow, it's separate bathrooms and drinking fountains.

5. It would be easy to dismiss criticisms leveled at Wu as right-wing white privilege. But left-wingers are unwilling and/or unable to comprehend that identity politics turns off people of all races including people who might otherwise be sympathetic to their point of view. Gatherings intended to exclude people on account of their race such as this violate the spirit of peace and goodwill to all. 

6. The Boston City Council is an elected body and the holiday season ought to time for inclusion and togetherness. The Elected of Colors holiday party is every bit as wrong as Whites Only Councilors holiday party.