Ilhan Omar, Who Has Questioned The Loyalty of American Jews, Says She's "Somali First"

Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is under fire for stating she is "Somali first". During an address to members of the Somali community in Minneapolis on January 27th, Omar said the following:

We are an organized society, brothers and sister. People of the same blood. People who know they are Somalians first, Muslims second.

Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota who very nearly became House Speaker earlier this year until defeated, former President Trump put the kibosh on it, has demanded a House ethics investigation against Omar.  Florida Governor and failed GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has demanded that Omar be deported. 

Barring more specific evidence that Omar has acted on behalf of the Somali government and against U.S. interests, Emmer's call for Omar to be investigated is grandstanding. So, too, is DeSantis' declaration as Omar is an American citizen even if she isn't particularly fond of being one. Both Emmer and DeSantis utterly miss the point.

What I find most revealing about this episode is that nearly five years ago Omar openly questioned the loyalty of American Jews. In reference to Israel, Omar stated at a March 2019 town hall meeting in Washington, D.C.:

I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country.

This is anti-Semitism 101. Omar holds Jews and whatever affinity we might have for Israel to a different standard than she does for her own affinity towards Somalia. 

In Ilhan Omar's world, it is O.K. for her to say she is Somali first, but it is not OK for American Jews to stand in solidarity with Israel when it is attacked by Hamas.  

It is this for which Ilhan Omar ought to be taken to task.

Thoughts on The Federal Court of Canada Ruling Trudeau's Invocation of Emergencies Act Against Trucker Convoy Was "Unreasonable"

Last week, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that the Trudeau government's invocation of the Emergencies Act during the trucker convoy protest two years ago was "unreasonable" as it was not an emergency. The ruling arrives at the opposite conclusion of the Rouleau Commission which in February 2023 concluded the Trudeau government was justified in invoking the order. 

The Trudeau government naturally intends to appeal the decision all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. It is my hope the Supreme Court of Canada will overturn this ruling.

Let us remember that the so-called "freedom convoy" shut down several Canada-U.S. border crossings for weeks on end including the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Several members of the convoy were armed and intended to murder RCMP officers. Convoy members also wreaked havoc during its occupation of Ottawa up to and including rendering its 911 system inoperable. 

As one might expect, the ruling was praised by Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. After all, Poilievre became leader of the Conservative Party as a result of his support for the convoy pushing out his predecessor Erin O'Toole. Poilievre went all in with the convoy despite its use of Nazi and Confederate symbols. 

However, let's suppose the Supreme Court of Canada upholds the Federal Court's ruling. Let us also suppose that Canadians elect the Conservative Party to a majority government next year. Now let us further suppose that, say, pro-Hamas demonstrators see fit to emulate the convoy's tactics of blockading Canada-U.S. border crossings, disrupt essential services (i.e. 911) and conspire to kill members of law enforcement. Poilievre invoke the Emergencies Act faster than you could say notwithstanding clause. Even if the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the Federal Court's decision on the trucker convoy, this would not deter Poilievre. He would find a reason to justify his decision even if the Federal Court and the Supreme Court were to subsequently rule against him. 

Mind you, if such a scenario came to pass, I would be inclined to agree with the Poilievre government's decision against pro-Hamas protesters as I do with the Trudeau government's decision against the trucker convoy. I think anyone who shuts down a border crossing for an indefinite period of time, disrupts essential services and conspires to commit murder warrants the use of the Emergencies Act regardless of who happens to be in power. From where I sit, it is a reasonable use of the law.

In Poilievre's case, however, I don't think he opposes the Emergencies Act, but rather he opposes its use against organizations which support his political agenda.

The Lions Cannot Sustain Their Roar Against the 49ers Who Will Face Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII

Tonight, I watched the NFC Final between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions led at the half 24-7. But the 49ers roared back with 34 unanswered points. The Lions did have the option of kicking two field goals but opted to go for it on fourth down. While this tactic often worked for them during the regular season, it did not succeed. Lions QB Jared Goff did toss a touchdown pass with a minute left in the game to make it a 34-31 game. A failed onside kick, however, sealed the Lions fate.

The 49ers will face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs who won the AFC Final earlier today besting the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. It will be a rematch of Super Bowl LIV in which the Chiefs won 31-20. The Chiefs will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004 and 2005. 

I was rooting for the Lions as they have never played in the Super Bowl. When I lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario, we received our U.S. TV signals from Detroit. The Lions were the fourth most popular team in Detroit behind the Tigers which had won the World Series in 1984 and an AL East title in 1987, the Pistons which won back-to-back NBA titles in 1988 and 1989. Although I would leave Thunder Bay in the early 1990's, the Red Wings were contenders and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998 and win two more Cups in the 2000s. 

Yes, the Lions did have one of the greatest running backs in NFL history with Barry Sanders and they did have some good teams in the 1990's they could never get to the championship game. The Lions regressed in the 2000's reaching their nadir with an 0-16 season in 2008. The early 2010s were better when Matthew Stafford was at QB, but he would find Super Bowl success in Los Angeles two years ago. After trading Stafford for Goff, the Lions were in danger of replicating that season two years ago when Dan Campbell was named head coach losing their first 10 games finishing the season 3-13-1. In 2023, the Lions would have a Cinderella season. But alas they will not be going to the ball.

With that said, I hope the 49ers prevail against the Chiefs. This might make Taylor Swift fans unhappy, but it's been almost 30 years since the 49ers last won the Super Bowl and it has been a long road back.

The Real Meaning of the International Court of Justice's Ruling Against Israel

On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel had to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza although it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. Mind you, even if it had called for a ceasefire the ICJ has no way to enforce such a ruling.

However, Israel must demonstrate to the ICJ's satisfaction measures it has taken to avoid committing genocide within 30 day or face further sanction. The court ruled that South Africa's claims of genocide were "plausible". This could also mean Israel could face further measures by the UN Security Council unless the U.S. stands by it. 

Of course, the case against Israel is a perversion of justice. Hamas raison d'etre is genocide. One only need read its founding charter. Hamas kidnaps, rapes and murders Israeli civilians and foreign nationals and declares to repeat October 7th again and again until Israel is destroyed. In the same breath, Hamas claims it is the victim Israel is committing genocide with South Africa legitimizing these claims. 

It is also worth mentioning the ICJ is a UN body, and the UN isn't impartial where it concerns Israel. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest employees of the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) aiding Hamas in its attack against Israel.

The aim and objective of the case is merely the latest in a decades long international campaign to delegitimize Israel. This particular aspect of that campaign is to make Israel synonymous with genocide even if the evidence doesn't support that claim. But as with any lie, big or small, if it is repeated often enough then most of the world will accept it as fact. 

Haley's Statement on The E.Jean Carroll Verdict Against Trump Was Mealy-Mouthed and Meaningless

On Friday, Nikki Haley weighed on a New York jury's decision to order defeated, former President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $83 million for defamation:

Donald Trump wants to be the presumptive Republican nominee and we’re talking about $83 million in damages.

America can do better than Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

This statement is completely mealy-mouthed. President Biden hasn't been ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll $83 million in damages. Nor has President Biden been charged with any criminal offense whereas Trump has been charged with 91 charges on both the state and federal level. Yet Haley is trying to put President Biden on the same moral plane as Trump.

Of course, this statement is not only mealy-mouthed, but also completely meaningless. Haley has already declared that she will support Trump even if he is found guilty in any of the trials he faces. 

Republican voters are going to support the man who sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll. 

And so will Nikki Haley.

More Hate at Harvard Against Jews as Hostage Posters Defaced

(via Aviva Klompas on X)

Harvard University has yet again made headlines for anti-Semitism on campus. 

This time it has taken the form of graffiti on posters of hostages being held by Hamas. 

The graffiti includes linking the hostages to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and Jeffrey Epstein although perhaps the most sickening desecration on the poster of an infant named Kfir Bibas which read, "Head still on."

While it is unclear whether this heinous act was committed by Harvard students, faculty or staff, it is clear that it was done by someone in my neighborhood. Even if the perpetrator or perpetrators have no affiliation with Harvard, it is clear there are many at Harvard who share these vile sentiments.

Earlier this month, I participated in a march commemorating the hostages who have been by Hamas for 100 days. The march commenced at Harvard Chabad. At the time I wrote:

While I consider it my duty to remind the world that Hamas still hold hostages, I do so with the knowledge that much of the world either doesn't care or is glad Hamas did what it has done and hopes the likes of Omer Neutra dies in captivity. 

What I ought to have added is that a great many people have minimized or ignored Hamas behavior towards hostages most notably where it concerns rape and sexual assault. In the case of this graffiti, there is now the claim that Hamas has not taken hostages at all. If there are people who deny that Hamas has taken hostages is it really a stretch of the imagination to think that these same people would deny the Holocaust?

Cambridge, Massachusetts is my home. But I have come to accept that many of my neighbors hate Jews and have been increasingly willing to express this hatred. I have no desire to leave, yet I must tread carefully.

Trump Beats Haley By Double Digits in New Hampshire

Defeated, former President Donald Trump bested Nikki Haley in New Hampshire tonight. Although Trump did not win by 30 points as he did last week in Iowa, he did win comfortably and will likely win by double digits. As of this writing, Trump is leading Haley 54.6% to 43.9% with 71% of the ballots cast for a lead of 10.7%. O.K, make that by 11.5% (55% to 43.5%) with 74% of the vote tallied.

Haley plans to carry on to South Carolina. But unless Haley improves on a 30% deficit against Trump in her home state quick, I don't see her lasting very long. And when she does give up, she will rally to Trump's side and hope he will still consider her as a VP pick even if he says she "probably" won't be. 

To paraphrase the late Lesley Gore, this is Trump's party and Haley can cry if she wants too. 

The only two matchups which really matter is President Biden vs. Donald Trump and, with it, Democracy vs. Authoritarianism on November 5, 2024.

Beltre, Helton & Mauer Heading to Cooperstown With Wagner Falling Five Votes Short

The triumvirate of Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer will be headed to Cooperstown this summer. 

Beltre, who played 21 MLB seasons with stops with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, earned 95.1%. Helton and Mauer, who played their entire careers with the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins, respectively, earned 79.7% and 76.1% of the tally from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). 

There were nearly four inductees this year. However, Billy Wagner fell five votes short of inclusion garnering 73.8% of the vote. Inductees must earn at least 75% of the BBWAA vote. Wagner's last year of eligibility is next year. More on him in a moment.

Beltre and Mauer were both first time inductees and I wrote about them a couple of days ago so I'll focus my commentary on Helton who earned baseball immortality in his sixth year on his ballot. For my part, I did not support his inclusion into Cooperstown until his third year on the ballot in 2021. This was the case I made for Helton more than three years ago:

The only other addition to my ballot is Colorado Rockies legend Todd Helton who is entering his third year on the ballot. While one could argue that Helton's peak might have been short (1998-2004) and his power declined significantly after he turned 30, he consistently hit above .300 and was consistently at or near .400 in OBP. Indeed, Helton had a OBP of .400 or better in nine seasons. Helton ended his career with a lifetime batting average of .316 and an OBP of .414. Of course, the problem is that Helton's offensive numbers were substantially better at Coors Field than away from it. While Helton had a lifetime batting average and OBP of .345 and .441 at Coors, he was far less immortal outside of Colorado at .287 and .386. The same holds true for his power numbers. 

Yet if we go by that approach then we effectively preclude any player who spent a significant portion of his career with the Rockies. The admission of Larry Walker into Cooperstown earlier this year might ease Helton's path a little although I suspect he will probably have to wait until his ninth or tenth year of eligibility to gain admission. But for my money Helton is worthy of induction right now.

As it turned out, Helton didn't have to wait until his ninth or tenth year of eligibility. Let me put it another way. If hitting in Coors Field is so easy, then everyone would be hitting .345 on Blake Street. In 2023, the Rockies (who lost an NL high 103 games) collectively batted .269 in Coors Field. 

A few more words about Billy Wagner. Given how close he came this year, methinks he will get the call next year unless he decides to pull a Schilling and demand the BBWAA not vote for him and remove him from the ballot altogether. I think Wagner will keep his mouth shut.

With 422 career saves, Wagner is sixth on MLB's all-time list. Among lefthanders only John Franco has more saves although he too is not in Cooperstown. In fact, Franco only got 4.6% of the vote in his only year on the BBWAA ballot in 2011. What works in Wagner's favor is that it took him 16 seasons to earn 422 saves while it took Franco 21 seasons to earn 424. In any case, it does seem egregious that no southpaw closer has ever been inducted. 

Beltre, Mauer and Helton will be inducted into Cooperstown along with former Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers manager Jim Leyland on July 21st.

Haley Will Support Trump Even If He Won't Pick Her as VP & Thinks She's Pelosi

While there are those are trying to gin up the possibility of Nikki Haley upsetting defeated, former President Donald Trump in tomorrow night's New Hampshire GOP Primary, I'm just not seeing it. Unless the polls are incredibly wrong, Trump is leading Haley in NH by anywhere between 11 and 27 points. 

Should Trump beat Haley by double digits in New Hampshire, then I don't see how she carries on to South Carolina to be blown out of the water in her home state. Haley might wait a few days like DeSantis did following Iowa, but she will drop out and endorse Trump despite her questioning his mental acuity when he repeatedly mistook her for Nancy Pelosi. If Haley is prepared to support Trump if he is convicted of multiple felonies, then why would she draw the line at him mistaking her for Pelosi? She'll find a way to say that President Biden is worse. 

The long and the short of it, Haley still wants a political future and that means bowing to Trump even if it is unlikely that he will pick her as his running mate. During a rally in Concord, New Hampshire, Trump said of Haley, “She is OK, but she is not presidential timber. And when I say that, that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president.” Then again, when Haley hears the word "probably", she "probably" thinks, "So, you're telling me there's a chance." 

For his part, Trump claims the only reason he appointed her as UN Ambassador is so that Henry McMaster could succeed her as Governor of South Carolina. Not that I believe him, but if it were true, it is a bizarre reason to appoint someone to your presidential cabinet you don't think has toughness necessary to do the job. Frankly, if Trump were re-elected it would not surprise me if he appointed Haley UN Ambassador once more. It would also not surprise if she said in response, "Thank you, Mr. President, may I have another, sir?"

As with most Republicans, I have no respect for Nikki Haley. Because when it comes to Trump, Haley and nearly all other Republicans have no respect for themselves let alone an ounce of dignity.

DeSantis Drops Out & Endorses Trump Two Days Before NH Primary

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis finally put his GOP presidential bid out of its misery and has, to the surprise of no one, endorsed defeated, former President Trump. You know, the guy who called him Meatball Ron. DeSantis' announcements comes less than a week after finishing a distant second to Trump in the Iowa Caucus and two days before the New Hampshire Primary. 

This is what I wrote the day before DeSantis "launched" his campaign with Elon Musk last May:

I don’t see DeSantis defeating Trump. The only way DeSantis wins the Republican nomination is if Trump dies. And if DeSantis does win then he will lose to President Biden because he comes across like such an asshole. DeSantis managed to make a billion-dollar corporation look like sympathetic underdogs. Hell, he makes Ted Cruz likable. Well, almost. The only way DeSantis beats Biden is if Congress refuses to certify the election which they could if Republicans are in control of either House.

Perhaps this is a dry run for 2028. But if DeSantis flops there won’t be a race to run in four years from now. I have a feeling DeSantis is going to learn the hard way and annoy a great many people along the way.

And it turned out so much worse for DeSantis from the Twitter glitches with Musk, awkward interactions with voters up to and including siccing his security personnel on a 15-year-old boy who had the temerity to ask him if he thought that Trump violated the peaceful transfer of power. Throw in the chaos and turnover at the pro-DeSantis PAC and with it a voyage only marginally more successful than the Titanic.

DeSantis might be still alive, but his political career is effectively dead unless either Marco Rubio or Rick Scott retires from the Senate. Oh, he will still be Florida Governor until January 2027 but the only DeSantis with a political future is his wife Casey. 

DeSantis tried to present himself as "Trump without the baggage."  Well, Republican voters not only like Trump but they seem to like him better with the baggage up to and including 91 state and federal charges. And so does DeSantis going as far as to say he would pardon Trump.

In hindsight, DeSantis would have been better off sitting out 2024. But Ron DeSantis was the man who couldn't wait.

My 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot (If I Were a BBWAA Member)

On Tuesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2024 as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). To be inducted into Cooperstown, a player must receive 75% of the BBWAA vote. BBWAA members can vote for up to 10 candidates. 

If I were a BBWAA member, this would be my 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot:

1. Adrian Beltre

2. Joe Mauer

3. Todd Helton

4. Billy Wagner

5. Francisco Rodriguez

6. Torii Hunter

7. Andruw Jones

8. Jimmy Rollins

Beltre and Mauer are in their first year of eligibility while the remaining players have been on previous ballots. Helton, Wagner, K-Rod, Hunter, Jones and Rollins were on my "ballot" in 2023. So, I will focus my commentary on Beltre and Mauer both of whom are widely expected to be inducted possibly along with Helton and Wagner according to the BBWAA voting tracker.

Beltre is a slam dunk. In his 21-year big league career during which he played with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, Beltre collected 3,166 hits which is 18th on MLB's all-time list just ahead of fellow third baseman George Brett. Beltre also belted 477 HR and drove in 1707 runs. The Dominican born Beltre also collected 5 Gold Gloves at the hot corner along with two Platinum Gloves. 

I have to admit I was more on the fence where it concerned Mauer. Although the AL's premier catcher for the better part of a decade, of his 1858 career games less than half (921) were played behind the plate with the rest split between first base and DH. There are extenuating circumstances though. The Twins moved Mauer to first base after the 2013 season due to his long history with concussions. In so doing, the Twins both extended Mauer's career and quite possibly prolonged his life.

Although Mauer played fewer than half his games behind the plate, he is the only catcher in AL history to win a batting title and he won three of them. When Mauer won his first batting title in 2006, he was the first catcher to win a batting title since Ernie Lombardi won his second career batting title in 1942 in his lone season with the Boston Braves. Lombardi won his first NL batting title four years earlier with the Cincinnati Reds. He, too, has a plaque in Cooperstown. In this sense, Mauer is virtually in a class by himself. 

Mauer also has the advantage of having played his entire career with the Minnesota Twins. Along with Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett, Mauer is on the Mount Rushmore of all-time Twins greats. Killebrew, Carew and Puckett are in Cooperstown and Mauer belongs there too.

Of course, Mauer's longtime teammate Torii Hunter is also among the greatest players to ever wear a Minnesota uniform spending 12 of his 19 seasons in the Twin Cities. Yet despite earning 9 Gold Gloves (7 while with the Twins), Hunter is in danger of falling off the BBWAA ballot at 4.8% of the vote. Contrast this with Andruw Jones, who is at 70.7%. Jones won one more Gold Glove than Hunter, but his offensive numbers aren't as good as Hunter's. Both are on my ballot. So why isn't Hunter on more BBWAA ballots? That is something I would like to know.

In any case, I shall give my thoughts on the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees when they are announced on Tuesday night.

Four Thoughts on Trump's Demand For "Full Immunity"

Here is defeated, former President Donald Trump's unhinged rant demanding "full immunity" in its all-caps glory:

A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MUST HAVE FULL IMMUNITY, WITHOUT WHICH IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM/HER TO PROPERLY FUNCTION. ANY MISTAKE, EVEN IF WELL INTENDED, WOULD BE MET WITH ALMOST CERTAIN INDICTMENT BY THE OPPOSING PARTY AT TERM END. EVEN EVENTS THAT “CROSS THE LINE” MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD. THERE MUST BE CERTAINTY. EXAMPLE: YOU CAN’T STOP POLICE FROM DOING THE JOB OF STRONG & EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GUARD AGAINST THE OCCASIONAL “ROGUE COP” OR “BAD APPLE.” SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH “GREAT BUT SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT.” ALL PRESIDENTS MUST HAVE COMPLETE & TOTAL PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, OR THE AUTHORITY & DECISIVENESS OF A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL BE STRIPPED & GONE FOREVER. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE AN EASY DECISION. GOD BLESS THE SUPREME COURT!

A few thoughts.

First, I would suggest that Trump's predecessors (perhaps save for Richard Nixon) were able to "properly function" without being bestowed with "full immunity". 

Second, the fact that Trump is demanding "full immunity" tells us he knows he did something unlawful.

Third, Trump evidently wants law enforcement to also have full immunity although I suspect he would carve out an exception for D.C. Metro Police when confronted by January 6th insurrectionists. Or the people Trump calls hostages. But if one "rogue cop" puts his knee on someone's neck or a "bad apple" mistakenly uses a gun instead of a taser then too bad we'll just have to live with the slight imperfections which cost people their lives.

Finally, if all Presidents should have "complete and total presidential immunity" then that would apply to President Biden. By this standard, Biden would not be subject to impeachment proceedings. Of course, Trump and his supporters do not believe Biden is a legitimately elected President as evidenced by the views of two-thirds of Iowa caucus voters. But whether they like it or not, Joe Biden is President of the United States, and he does not feel any need for presidential immunity.

I Hope Asa Hutchinson Will Endorse President Biden After White House Makes Amends For DNC Tweet

When former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson formally suspended his GOP presidential bid, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) put out a rather snarky tweet on X:

This news comes as a shock to those of us who could've sworn he had already dropped out.

While it is true that Hutchinson only appeared onstage for a single Republican debate and was lucky to poll at 2%, he had been as steadfastly anti-Trump as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was during his ill-fated campaign. Indeed, they were the only two Republicans on that debate stage who wouldn't raise their hand when asked if they would support Trump even if he had been convicted of a crime. Hutchinson was also booed vociferously at the Turning Point Action Conference last July when he objected to Trump's "stranglehold" on the GOP.

Under the circumstances, the DNC ought to have said something along these lines:

Although we do not share many of former Governor Hutchinson's views, we as Democrats appreciate his principled and steadfast opposition to defeated, former President Trump before and during his bid for the GOP nomination. 

Given that Trump will likely be the Republican nominee, we have no doubt that President Biden would welcome former Governor Hutchinson's support in the 2024 election as well as the support of other Republican voters alienated by the words and deeds of the former President. 

Instead, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients personally called Hutchinson to apologize on behalf of President Biden. Fortunately, Hutchinson gracefully accepted Zients' apology:

He took his time away and he apologized. It meant a lot to me and to me that reflects the good parts of American politics. You fight hard, but at the end of the day you want to make sure you treat each other with respect. I appreciated the call.

Now that fences have been swiftly mended, I am wondering if there is a possibility Hutchinson will endorse President Biden and speak at the DNC. After all, Hutchinson has occasionally President Biden as he did for "seamless" vaccine distribution and "de-politicizing" our response to COVID.  That and Biden is on trial for anything despite James Comer's worst efforts. 

I can only hope DNC staff learn a valuable lesson from this episode. While there are plenty of legitimate reasons for the DNC to criticize Republicans and their policies, their attacks should be reserved for those whose devotion is to Trump rather than to the Constitution and our democracy. Those in the Republican Party who have the courage to speak out against Trump and Trumpism deserve the praise of the DNC, not its scorn.

Ramaswamy Didn't Want To Beat Trump; He Wants To Be His Heir Apparent

Although Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his presidential campaign within a couple of hours of his fourth-place finish in Iowa, in many respects his campaign was very successful.

Prior to his presidential bid, Ramaswamy was a virtual unknown. Now he is a player in Republican politics and a leading light of the MAGA world (such as it is).

Unlike Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy wasn't in this race to beat Trump. He was in the race to be Trump's heir apparent. After all, Ramaswamy said not a negative word about Trump and was the first to raise his hand when asked if he would support Trump even if he were a convicted criminal. Notwithstanding the fact Trump took aim at Ramaswamy a few days ago, that did not stop Ramaswamy from immediately endorsing Trump upon exiting the race. Today, he was at Trump's side in New Hampshire.

Now whether Ramaswamy becomes Trump's heir apparent remains to be seen. I'm not sure the MAGAverse will entirely accept a Hindu as their standard bearer even if he does speak their language. But Ramaswamy is a rising star who Trump could name to a cabinet post or even be a VP pick. Whatever annoyance Trump had with Ramaswamy a few days ago is gone now as Trump did nothing to discourage Ramaswamy's future with him. Trump said, "He'll be working for us for a long time."

As for me, Ramaswamy is Trump's heir apparent where it concerns his boorish and obnoxious demeanor. In this sense, Ramaswamy fits in perfectly in the MAGAverse. His presidential aspirations are dormant for now, but we will be hearing a lot from Vivek Ramaswamy in the years to come whether we want to or not. 

Commuting To Work On The T Is Not Fun

Boston's MBTA is the oldest subway system in America, and it shows. Getting from point A to point B is a hit or miss proposition at the best of times on crowded trains riding along an antiquated track not up to federal safety standards. 

But today was among my worst experiences using the T in my 20 plus years in the Boston area. A few seconds after boarding the Red Line at Porter Square, we were informed we would be standing by for 2 minutes. We were then informed there was a fire alarm at Downtown Crossing. That fire alarm would become a full-fledged fire and we were informed the Red Line would travel one stop to Harvard Square. From there shuttle buses would replace Red Line service between Harvard and JFK/UMass. 

The problem was there were no shuttle buses to be found and they would not arrive for another 20 minutes.

And did I mention it was snowing?

I start work at 9 a.m. Today, I did not get into the office until 10:43 a.m.

Because Downtown Crossing also services the Orange Line, much of it had to use shuttle buses as well. Complicating matters is that much of the Green Line is down due to scheduled maintenance. 

It was the kind of day in which I wished I was working from home. Although I did so while I was convalescing from my kidney stone last November and for occasional overtime projects, much of my duties require me to be onsite. So, it is just one of those annoyances and inconveniences which comes with living in and around Boston. 

I suppose it could be worse. The train didn't derail, the escalator didn't collapse, no debris fell on me nor did I have to jump off a train into the Mystic River. But give it time. For as long as I ride the T, these fates are not beyond the realm of possibility.

Trump Wins Iowa, Leads DeSantis & Haley By 30 Points

In the least surprising story of this young year, defeated, former President Donald Trump has won the 2024 Iowa Republican Caucuses.

Trump bested both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley by more than 30 points. With 86% of the vote in, Trump tallied 51% of the vote compared to 21.2% for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and 19.1% of the vote for former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Thus far, Trump has earned 16 delegates as compared to four apiece for DeSantis and Haley.

OK, Trump is leading DeSantis by 29.8% of the vote as of this writing. But this is a blowout which makes George W. Bush's 10-point triumph over Steve Forbes in 2000 look like a nailbiter by comparison. Some are concerned about second place. I am not one of them.

Neither DeSantis nor Haley is going to win the Republican nomination. They will drop out whether it is tomorrow, next week or in February. But drop out they will.

It isn't going to get much better from here at least until November. 

Bernie Sanders' Sloppy Historical Analysis Claiming Gaza Is Worse Than Dresden

Yesterday, during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders declared Israel's bombing of Gaza was worse than of U.S. and U.K. forces on Dresden during WWII:

If I use the word Dresden Germany to you, you think about the horrific destruction during World War II of that city. What is going on in Gaza now in three months, is worse than what took place in Dresden over a two year period. This is a catastrophe.

So my view has been from the beginning Israel has a right to respond to this horrific terrorist attack from come up. But you do not have a right to go to war against an entire people, women and children and the United States Congress has got to act because a lot of this destruction is being done with military weapons supplied by the United States of America.

For starters, Sanders is likening Gaza to Dresden because an estimated 25,000 civilians have been killed in both theatres. However, Sanders clearly needs to brush up on his WWII history. The bombing campaign in Dresden claimed the lives of 25,000 in two days, not two years. So strictly speaking from a statistical standpoint, what is happening in Gaza is not worse than what occurred in Dresden. The fact that Sanders was not challenged regarding this claim tells me how poorly educated we are concerning WWII, but American history at large.

However, in choosing to liken Gaza to Dresden, Sanders is engaging in moral equivalence between the Allies and Nazis and now between Israel and Hamas. Sanders claims Israel "is going to war against an entire people". Mind you, the near 25,000 death toll figure is claimed by the Gaza Ministry of Health which is run by Hamas. So, in order for Sanders to make the claim that Israel "is going to war against an entire people" then he must accept the word of Hamas at face value.

Let us assume for the sake of argument that the count is accurate and there have been 25,000 killed in Gaza since October 7th. How many of those killed were Hamas terrorists? It is important to delineate between Hamas terrorists and civilians. In so doing, it is equally important to remember that Hamas has long used its civilian populace as human shields. So long as this practice continues then one cannot just casually claim that Israel is wantonly going to war against an entire people. Nor has Israel taken people from their homes in engaged in hostage taking, rape and murder. Hamas, on the other hand, still has 136 hostages in captivity.

Given how sloppy Sanders' historical analogy is, it is hard for me to take him with any degree of seriousness. But as with defeated, former President Trump, Bernie Sanders doesn't care about the facts. Bernie's agenda is to block U.S. funding of Israel. The first step towards this objective is to have the State Department look into alleged human rights abuses by Israel though it appears he has already made up his mind regarding the outcome. 

In the grand scheme of things, it seems Bernie Sanders knows about as much about Israel and Hamas as he does about WWII. 

On MLK, Jr. Day, Nearly 50% of Americans Agree With Trump That Migrants Are "Poisoning The Blood" Of Country

As we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I am very disturbed to know that nearly half of all Americans agree with defeated, former President Trump's statement that migrants are "poisoning the blood" of the country.

According to a survey conducted by CBS News/YouGov, 47% of Americans are in agreement with Trump's statement about migrants including 82% of GOP voters. Curiously, when the statement wasn't attributed to Trump, 72% of Republicans were in agreement. All of which tells me if Republican voters were asked if they agreed throwing someone off a cliff was a good idea, support for it would shoot up if they knew that Trump had said it.

Yet clearly the most disturbing thing about the poll is that nearly 50% of Americans agree that migrants are "poisoning the blood" of this country. This goes well beyond border security. At this point, we're talking racial purity tests. 

All of which means there are a good many Americans who disagree with Dr. King when he said more than 60 years ago:

I have a dream that my four little children will one days live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. 

For nearly half of all Americans, character doesn't enter into the question. If your color, language, religion or national origin isn't right, then it represents a poison which is unwelcome and, if present, must be removed.  This does not bode well for America's survival, let alone its future.

On Walking a Mile For 136 Hostages Held By Hamas For 100 Days

This morning, I made my way to Harvard Chabad to walk a mile in support of the 136 hostages who remain held in captivity by Hamas for the past 100 days. 

It was a cold, windy January morning. However, all things considered, such conditions pale in comparison to those being endured by the hostages in Gaza who have been deprived of food, water, medication and many of whom have been subject to sexual assault. 

All that was asked of us was to walk from Harvard Chabad, cross the John M. Weeks Bridge into Boston, walk along the Charles and then cross the Anderson Memorial Bridge back into Cambridge and turn onto Memorial Drive to make our way back to Harvard Chabad. This I can do.

And that is what we did. I would guess there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 to 500 people who participated. The Cambridge Police kept an eye on things. Fortunately, there was no sign of pro-Hamas hooligans. Unlike the pro-Hamas hooligans, we did not blockade traffic, desecrate the graves of U.S. soldiers or commit manslaughter. 

The theme of the day was the hostages and bringing them home. One of the speakers was Tamar Davis Halper whose cousin Omer Neutra is among the hostages. Neutra, a Long Island native who opted to go to Israel before attending college and instead decided to remain and join the IDF, and how his parents have tirelessly lobbied President Biden as well as within the past few days going to the Israel-Gaza border to shout his name over a loudspeaker in the hopes their son would hear them.

Unfortunately, I think Omer Neutra's parents shouts of his name will be drowned out by those calling for a ceasefire and by pro-Hamas hooligans who blockade traffic, desecrate graves and commit manslaughter. As it stands, there is a spectacle of the Red Cross telling the families of hostages being held by Hamas to think of the Palestinians. 

While I consider it my duty to remind the world that Hamas still hold hostages, I do so with the knowledge that much of the world either doesn't care or is glad Hamas did what it has done and hopes the likes of Omer Neutra dies in captivity. 

Of course, there are honorable exceptions to this rule. Rabbi Marc Baker, the President of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, made a point of praising a mother and son who had come up from Rhode Island to attend the march. Rabbi Baker made a point of saying they are not Jewish while conveying the reason they came was because they told him that Jews cannot fight anti-Semitism alone. 

Indeed, it is incumbent upon both Jews and non-Jews to speak out and continue speaking out until every single hostage, Jew and non-Jew alike, is back home and alive to tell us who they survived evil.

Why I Don't Envy Jerod Mayo

Scarcely 24 hours after the New England Patriots bid farewell to Bill Belichick after 24 seasons at head coach, the Pats named Jerod Mayo as their new head coach.

Mayo was a linebacker for the Pats for eight seasons earning a Super Bowl ring in 2014 and almost five years ago was named the team's linebacker coach. At 37, Mayo will be the youngest head coach in the NFL. 

While this an extraordinary opportunity, I do not envy Jerod Mayo for a second. Despite the team's recent misfortunes, Mayo will invariably be compared to Belichick and will more likely than not fall short. As it stands, Mayo's hiring is being greeted with cynicism with others saying Pats owner Robert Kraft should have looked outside the organization to replace Belichick. 

Let's put it this way. Suppose Mayo guides the Pats to two Super Bowl titles. There's no guarantee Mayo will enjoy a winning season, but if he led the Pats to two Super Bowl titles that is still four fewer Vince Lombardi trophies than Belichick. 

It will help Mayo that he has spent the better part of 15 years in Massachusetts and knows the weary ways of New England fans who have been spoiled with success. But now Mayo is sitting in the hot seat and will face the kind of scrutiny he never faced as a player or as a member of Belichick's coaching staff. It is all on Jerod Mayo and I wish him the best.

Any American Who Tells a Judge in Court That They Have Their Own Agenda Would Be Jailed....Except Trump

Defeated, former President Donald Trump was granted the unusual request of making a closing argument in his New York civil fraud trial.

Trump wasted no time in personally attacking the presiding judge Arthur Engoron claiming, "I know this is boring to you. I know you have your own agenda.”

Had any other American spoken to a judge in that manner that person, be it a defendant, an attorney, witness or spectator, would be held in contempt of court and taken to jail. For all of Trump's claims of persecution, he has been given the kind of latitude available to no other American. 

So long as Trump is bestowed with this sort of treatment then one is sending the message the law does not apply to him. Indeed, in his D.C. trial concerning his actions on January 6th, Trump is arguing that his tenure in the White House renders him immune from prosecution of any kind up to and including having his political opponents killed. 

Being a President, even a former President, does not give one the right to excoriate a judge in open court. 

Let's stop treating Trump as if he's special. 

Bill Belichick: All Things Must Come To An End

The New England Patriots are now looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Bill Belichick. 

Belichick took over as Pats head coach in 2000 and ended up spending a third of his life with the team. During that third of his life, Belichick led the Pats to 17 playoff appearances in 24 seasons, 9 AFC championships and 6 Super Bowl titles. 

With 302 career regular season wins, Belichick is the third winningest head coach in NFL history behind only George Halas of Chicago Bears fame with 318 and Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula with 328. Belichick is still planning to coach so he could surpass both Halas and Shula. He just won't be doing so here in New England. 

Now Belichick has reached the "what you have done for me lately?" stage of his career. The Pats went 4-13 this season, their worst showing more than 30 years. 

Of course, most of Belichick's success came with Tom Brady at quarterback and many, many, many people are pointing this out with great glee as Brady won a Super Bowl ring with Tampa Bay while the Pats never won a playoff game without Brady. 

Then again, we've been spoiled. Between 2002 and 2019, the Pats won six Super Bowls, the Red Sox won four World Series and the Bruins and Celtics have a Stanley Cup and a NBA Title between them. You can only win for so long, but that's not what Boston fans want to hear. Although the Bruins and Celtics have made a good accounting of themselves so far (the Red Sox are anyone's guess) it won't mean anything without a parade on Boylston Street.  

While Brady was the common denominator for their six Super Bowl titles, those Patriots teams had sterling defense with the likes of Willie McGinest, Lawyer Milloy, Teddy Bruschi and Ty Law and support on offense with the likes of Danny Amendola, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. It was Bill Belichick who put these teams together. As great these players were, there is no guarantee they would have won a Super Bowl title much less six titles without Belichick playing a key role. 

Although many will downplay Belichick's contributions, don't be shocked if NFL teams fall all over themselves trying to secure his services. Brady or no Brady, six Super Bowl titles will not only get your foot in the door but in the end zone. 

And even if Belichick doesn't replicate his success in New England, he will certainly have an induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio one of these days.

Why I Think Christie Will Endorse Trump Again

Early this evening, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ended his GOP White House bid.

Christie staked out his position as the anti-Trump candidate and Republican voters have made it clear there is no room for anti-Trump views in MAGA country. 

While I thought Christie would stick around through New Hampshire, he has been under pressure to drop out for more than a month. 

So where does he go from here?

For all his anti-Trump rhetoric, I don't think Christie is going to endorse President Biden. He made that loud and clear to Hugh Hewitt last week. 

What would be in it for Christie to endorse Biden? I just can't see Christie putting country before party. Besides, he signed a pledge declaring his support for the eventual Republican nominee which he and everyone else knows is going to be Trump. 

Despite all his anti-Trump rhetoric, it just rang false to me. I've heard too many other Republicans spout the same line such as Lindsey Graham (more than once) and Rick Perry only to kneel before Zod. If he can't beat Trump, he'll join Trump - again.

Believe me, I would love nothing better than to be wrong. But unless Christie endorses President Biden all his rhetoric against Trump will have been meaningless. As such I will continue to view him as a quisling like almost every Republican out there barring perhaps Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. 

Who Is a Hostage and Who Is Not a Hostage

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word hostage in this fashion:

1. a) a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an                agreement;

    b) a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands;

2. one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence

By this definition, let me tell who a hostage is.

The people held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas including Americans. 

The prison guards and journalists being held in captivity by prisoners and drug gangs in Ecuador. 

The Armenians being held by the government of Azerbaijan in the disputed Nagarno-Karabakh region. 

Now let me tell you who isn't a hostage.

The people who were found guilty of crimes they committed when storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Unlike what is happening in Israel and Gaza, in Ecuador and in the Nagarno-Karabakh region, those who have been charged with crimes related to their actions on January 6, 2021, are receiving full due process. They have a right to a lawyer, a right to a trial by a judge or a jury of their peers, a right to receive evidence of the charges against them and the right to challenge the credibility of the evidence against them. If found guilty, there is the right to appeal the verdict. 

Hamas, the Ecuadorian drug gangs and the Azerbaijani government aren't affording their captives any such rights. Of course, the people who were being held captive by Hamas, the Ecuadorian drug gangs and the Azerbaijani government are innocent civilians who have done no wrong other than to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Defeated, former President Donald Trump and his lackey Congresswoman Elise Stefanik are bastardizing the use of the word hostage. In so doing, they have minimized and trivialized the suffering of people now being held hostage by the Azerbaijani government in the Nagarno-Karabakh region, by Ecuadorian drug gangs and by Hamas somewhere in a underground tunnel in Gaza.

Trump Claims Lincoln Could Have Avoided The Civil War Through Negotiation

At a rally in Iowa on Saturday, defeated former President Donald Trump claimed that Abraham Lincoln could have avoided the Civil War through negotiation:

So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you. I think you could’ve negotiated that. All the people died, so many people died.

Abraham Lincoln, of course if he negotiated it, you probably wouldn’t even know who Abraham Lincoln was. He would have been president, but he would have been president, and he wouldn’t have been the Abraham Lincoln. Would’ve been different, but that would’ve been OK.

I know it very well. I know the whole process that they went through, and they just couldn’t get along, and that would’ve been something that could have been negotiated and they wouldn’t have had that problem.

To which Liz Cheney replied, “Which part of the Civil War ‘could have been negotiated’? The slavery part? The secession part? Whether Lincoln should have preserved the Union?” 

Mind you, Trump is the last person who wants to prevent another Civil War. In fact, Trump has done more to foment a Second Civil War since Jefferson Davis be it by not accepting the results of an election, attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, calling for the execution of military officials, claiming migrants poison the blood of our country and bringing Christmas tidings by wishing those with whom he disagrees to rot in hell. For bad measure, Trump just refused to sign a loyalty oath not to overthrow the government in Lincoln's native Illinois. It is exactly what you would expect of someone who wants to be a dictator even for a day. 

As such, it is very hard to take Trump seriously when he laments those who died during the Civil War when more than 400,000 Americans died under his watch in less than a year as he dithered during the COVID pandemic. 

Of course, what he said about the Civil War won't matter to his supporters any more than any of the other things just mentioned. A week from today, Trump will win the Iowa Caucus perhaps by as much as 50 points. A week from today, most people will have forgotten that Trump said anything about the Civil War while Nikki Haley will still struggle to explain herself as to why she wouldn't mention slavery as a cause for the Civil War.

The question remains if it will matter to enough Americans to deny Trump a second term for a second consecutive election.

Stefanik Echoes Trump Calling January 6th Convicts "Hostages"; Won't Commit To Certifying '24 Election & Claims Migrants Poisoning The Blood of America

A month ago, I praised New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for calling out now former Harvard University President Claudine Gay along with former UPenn President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth for tolerating campus anti-Semitism. However, I qualified my praise:

While Stefanik certainly deserves credit for exposing academia's tolerance of anti-Semitism at the highest level, I nevertheless do not trust her any more than I trust the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn. 

My problem with Stefanik has been her promotion of election conspiracy theories constructed out of whole cloth, her attempts to overturn the 2020 election and claims that Nancy Pelosi was responsible for the attacks on January 6th. There's a very good chance that Stefanik doesn't actually believe this rubbish, but said it to curry favor with defeated, former President Donald Trump and rise in the House Republican leadership. It's bad enough when one actually believes one's own stupidity. To make a point of sinking to the level of a Steve Bannon descends the depths of disingenuousness. 

Fast forward one month later. During an appearance on NBC's Meet The Press this morning, Stefanik told host Kristen Welker she was concerned about "the treatment of January 6th hostages."  Defeated, former President Donald Trump has frequently referred to those convicted of offenses arising from January 6th as "hostages" including last night at a rally in Clinton, Iowa. 

Of course, such a claim is absurd. To call the January 6th insurrectionists "hostages" suggests they a) they are not bound by the law and b) did not have due process. But Stefanik was there to kiss Trump's large ass and she was only beginning.

Stefanik also will not commit to certifying the results of the 2024 presidential election unless it is "legal and valid". Read: Trump wins the election.

Not to undo herself, Stefanik saw fit to defend Trump's claims that migrants coming into the U.S. are "poisoning the blood of our country." Stefanik claimed the "poisoning the blood" comment refers to fentanyl. Stefanik said, "Let me be clear. Our border crisis is poisoning Americans through fentanyl." 

Mind you, opioid deaths skyrocketed under Trump's watch including fentanyl.  Furthermore, Trump made no mention of fentanyl when he uttered the words "poisoning the blood of our country." But, for Stefanik, this is about Trump, not truth.

It is fairly obvious Stefanik is campaigning to be Trump's running mate by professing her unquestioning loyalty to him in defending the indefensible. Stefanik is telling Trump that she speaks his language on January 6th, election certification and blood poisoning. She is telling Trump that she is no Mike Pence and will do his bidding concerning anything he asks of her regardless of its legality.

So long as Stefanik insists on pledging her loyalty to Trump over the Constitution, then it diminishes her contributions on exposing anti-Semitism on American university campuses and any other contributions she has made to the public good. It renders her unfit for public office.

I hope Trump selects Stefanik as his running mate for no other reason than for the opportunity for the American electorate to rebuke her and rebuke Donald Trump for a second time. Stefanik might not accept that outcome, but that's too damn bad.

Could Canada Deport a Woman Over Blog Posts Criticizing Russian Atrocities in Ukraine?

This morning my mother drew my attention to an article written by Georgetown University law professor Jonathan Turley concerning the plight of Maria Kartasheva.

Last year, moments before the Russian born tech worker was to be sworn in as Canadian citizen, she was blocked by immigration officials from proceeding in her swearing in ceremony after disclosing she had faced charges in Russia for criticizing its invasion of Ukraine, specifically the Bucha Massacre in March 2022. Turley writes:

That brings us to the final and most chilling aspect of this drama. The Canadian government informed Kartasheva that her conviction in Russia aligns with a Criminal Code offense in Canada relating to false information.

That’s right. Canada is concerned because it also has criminalized speech and Kartasheva has used free speech to spread what her government considered false or misleading information.

For example, Section 372(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada makes it unlawful for any person to convey, cause, or procure to be conveyed false information with the intent to alarm or injure anyone.

The government cracked down on Internet speech despite opposition from the public and pushed 2021 Bill C-36 to impose $70,000 fines for legal content deemed “likely to foment detestation or vilification.”

So this brave woman made it all the way to the West to live in freedom only to find that Canada also puts people in jail for voicing dissenting or opposing viewpoints. The problem is not that Kartasheva is fundamentally different from most Canadians. The problem is that Canada is legally not that different from Russia on free speech.

Turley lays the blame for Kartasheva's situation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau whom he claims, "has devastated free speech in that country while assuming sweeping authoritarian powers." Mind you, this is the same Turley who claims January 6th isn't an insurrection. 

It should be noted that Section 372(1) of the Criminal Code in Canada was enacted in 1985 by the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. It reads:

• Everyone commits an offence who, with intent to injure or alarm a person, conveys information that they know is false, or causes such information to be conveyed by letter or any means of telecommunication.

  This law was enacted a decade before the internet became widely available. I highly doubt this law was intended to cover articles criticizing a foreign government for its military conduct let alone give legitimacy to a ruling by a Russian judge who is currently subject to both Canadian and U.S. sanctions. 

• It isn't to say the Trudeau government is immune from criticism in this matter. While it may have not enacted Section 372(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada, its interpretation of that law could potentially land Kartasheva in a Siberian prison next to Alexei Navalny. 

• This cannot come to pass. If it does, then I have no doubt that authoritarian and totalitarian governments would see fit to convict emigrees seeking Canadian citizenship who have expressed public disagreements with the conduct of the regimes they have abandoned. 

• Hossein Derakhshan comes to mind. Derakhshan is an Iranian emigree to Canada who was arrested while visiting his family in Tehran in November 2008 for his blog posts critical of the Iranian regime and subsequently sentenced to 19 years in prison before being pardoned in 2014 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

• If Derakhshan was awaiting Canadian citizenship and was subsequently convicted in absentia for writing blog posts critical of the Iranian government then he too could have found himself in Kartasheva's shoes. 

• In March 2022, Kartasheva became a fixture at protests in Ottawa against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the time Kartasheva said:

I didn’t feel safe in Russia anymore. Anytime you wanted to stand up to the violence, you were never safe. If someone didn’t like something you posted, you could be taken away.”

I am in Canada. They can’t do anything to me.

Unfortunately, Canada might very well do something to harm Maria Kartasheva.  As such, the onus lies with the Trudeau government to make this right and overrule the decision of Canadian immigration officials. 

As for Jonathan Turley, while he is right to bring Maria Kartasheva's case out in the open, he does a disservice when he claims Canada is criminalizing speech and that Trudeau has authoritarian powers. Justin Trudeau is many things. A Vladimir Putin clone he is not. By improperly diagnosing the problem, he may very do Maria Kartasheva more harm than good.

We Know What Happened on January 6, 2021; What Will Happen on January 6, 2025?

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of defeated, former President Trump and his supporters attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by their assault on Capitol Hill to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election victory. 

According to the DOJ, more than 1,200 arrests have been made thus far resulting in nearly 750 convictions resulting in imprisonment or home incarceration. Many of these convictions pertained to assault of Capitol Police officers and the use of weaponry. But according to Trump, the people who had weapons and attacked police officers are "hostages, not prisoners."

Naturally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Trump is facing four charges pertaining to the events of January 6, 2021.

We all know what happened on January 6, 2021, despite attempts from the Tucker Carlsons of the world to whitewash the public record. The question is what will happen one year from today on January 6, 2025.

Well, a lot of that will depend on who we choose on November 5, 2024. 

If we choose Trump, then we will have chosen authoritarianism. I expect that one of Trump's first acts of office would be to pardon the January 6th defendants. It will come as no surprise if Trump also issues a formal apology and bestows many of these people with Presidential Medals of Freedom including Stewart Rhodes of The Oathkeepers who is serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy. Needless to say, Trump will also absolve himself of any wrongdoing by issuing a pardon of his own and might award himself a Presidential Medal of Freedom while he is at it.. 

However, if we choose Biden, then Trump and his supporters will have a second bite at the apple. Should Trump lose he will again claim the election was rigged and stolen. While D.C. will be better prepared for violence on January 6, 2025, it might not come to that should Republicans control at least one House of Congress. 

If Republicans are in charge of either the House or Senate neither body will certify Biden's re-election. In which case, it will fall to the House of Representatives to decide the election. Even if Democrats should regain control of the House chances are Republicans will have a majority in most state delegations. In which case, Congress would deny the will of the voters and install Trump as President. 

In other words, America might get Trump whether we want him or not. 

Those who do not want Trump would take to the streets. As soon as Trump would take the oath of office, he would invoke the Insurrection Act and rule by decree thereby putting an official end to democracy in the United States. 

It is a bleak prospect, but we must prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Yet it is also incumbent upon us not only to re-elect President Biden, but to thwart any schemes of sedition to prevent him from serving a second term. 

Above all else, it falls upon us to choose democracy over Trump.