Yes, President Donald J Trump has been indicted on espionage charges in the handling of documents he took possession of when leaving the office of the Presidency. The bottom line is this indictment is a blatant case of political persecution.
As President, Donald Trump had the total and absolute authority to declassify any and all documents he wished. No one else in government had that authority. And he did not have to make some formal declaration about classification when possessing documents. By taking documents with him to Mar-a-Lago, all documents were automatically declassified by implication. And what did he do with those personal Presidential papers? He reportedly secured them in a locked area that was patrolled by assigned Secret Service agents.
The content of any documents the then departing President matters not. They were declassified and declared personal. The claim by President Trump is they were and are his.
There is disagreement about what are personal papers and what are not. This seems to be the lynch pin to any legal issues. One cannot question the authority to declassify. That is the President’s only. The claim is that President Trump violated the Presidential Records Act. That is in debate, but even if true there is no criminal penalty and Trump was communicating and working with the National Archives and Records Administration concerning what papers are personal and what should be possessed by the NARA. Then the raid on Mar-a-Lago by the FBI took place without notice. Even Trump’s on site lawyers were frozen out of the property while the FBI agents searched through the property even reportedly to the point of searching Melania Trump’s dresser drawers.
Now since there is no criminal action possible under the National Records Act, the Biden Administration has decided to charge Trump with espionage, a criminal charge. My prediction is this will eventually go nowhere even if it has to get to the Supreme Court before being thrown out.
Political pundits now say that what the Biden administration has done virtually assures that Donald J Trump will be the Republican nominee for President for the 2024 election. This is the opposite of what they hoped for. In truth, Democrats are scared to death that Trump will become President again in January 2025. If he does, the political bloodbath then will begin. The excising of the corrupt and criminal and deep state will be quick.
One has to say something about President Joe Biden. When Vice President and a Senator, Biden had no authority to declassify anything yet he took all sorts of official classified and government papers according to reports. Reports are many were stored openly in a car garage and many more in a library at the University of Pennsylvania. Has the Justice Department, the FBI, and the National Archives and Records Administration done a damned thing about Biden’s violations. Of course not. Or how about Sec. Hillary Clinton violations of classified materials. Nothing there either.
Americans see through all of this and more and more are angry about the injustice being perpetrated. The 2024 election cannot come soon enough.
Apartments?????
I am reading in the Kokomo Tribune about all the attempts to increase apartment style dwelling units in Kokomo including a rash of low cost – subsidized housing. It is time to stop.
Take a look around Kokomo. There are apartment developments everywhere. It is time to stop all apartment development until a complete accounting to the public can be made. The accounting needs to include the name of all apartment complexes, old and new, and the occupancy rate of each. The accounting should indicate whether the apartments are rented at open market rates or are low-cost subsidized units. It sure appears to me there are plenty vacant units of both types in our town now. Let’s see. Let’s account to the public.
There have been claims the Housing Authority wants to significantly increase the number of subsidized low-cost apartments for no reason except to attract out-of-town people to come to Kokomo to occupy them. Not a good reason.
This community should want a reasonable availability of low-cost subsidized housing for local citizens of such need, but not be a beacon to attract more people from the outside. Our goal should be to create employment for citizens so they can live and pay for market rate dwelling whether it be apartments or a home.
So… to our local government officials: STOP! Do not approve any more apartment developments until the picture is crystal clear as to how many of what type have been approved, the occupancy rate of each, and the accounting to the public has been fully and very openly made. The citizens of Kokomo have the right to know. They have the right to determine the character of our town.
Says It ALL
This photo of President Trump says it all!
The United States of America is in real trouble. Under the criminal Joe Biden regime we are in an undeclared war in Ukraine against Russia; a war that could get out of control and easily escalate into WWIII. We have millions of illegal aliens already in our country with more to follow bringing in drugs, disease, criminals, child traffic, terrorists, and others from all over the world including Communist Chinese. Look at the pictures. The majority flooding in appear to be military age men; not refugees.
We have inflation out of control. We have energy dependence on countries not our friends. We have economic dependency for essential goods and materials from Communist China; a country that wants to dominate the world. And we have elections filled with fraud.
The country is headed for collapse unless change comes soon. There is much talk, talk, talk about all the criminal behavior of our government highest agencies like the FBI, CIA, IRS, State Department, Intelligence Agencies and more; the “Deep State”. Talk and no consequences…. no convictions, no jail time. We have a court system that is either too timid (cowardly) to take on illegal activity and behavior or are corrupt itself.
The worst criminal occupies the highest office in the USA; the Presidency. Biden and his family should be in jail. That would be a start.
Our only hope is to hold out until Donald J. Trump can once again become the President of the United States of America. We pray.
Frustrated
I have to admit strongly that I am very frustrated at not having the voice and actual power that I once had as Publisher of the Kokomo Tribune. That newspaper in the day had great influence over what happened and the directions taken in Kokomo and surrounding area. The citizens of our area trusted us as evidenced by the over 95% of the homes receiving the Tribune each day….. seven days a week!
Our editorial philosophy was one of moderate conservative Republican. It really boiled down to “common sense”. Nothing stupid. And the people knew this and supported this.
We promoted good jobs and a safe community in a healthy environment. It was through the efforts of the Tribune that the clean up of the Wildcat Creek began. It was a polluted open sewer at the time. We exposed that and forced clean up of other places as well .
We opposed the building of the Lafayette Reservoir that would have covered over 4,000 acres of prime farmland. It was ultimately decommissioned by Congress which stopped the Corps of Engineers building the reservoir.
We did our best to educate people about the importance of clean air, clean water, and clean land. We were trusted.
Now we have shit coming along like a proposal to cover 1,800 and 1,700 acres of prime farmland with solar panels in eastern Howard County. Insane. It never would happen in the old Tribune days. I can only hope it will not happen today, but there is an uphill battle to prevent same.
While I am at it, I am going to bitch about President Joe Biden. I have no idea how he has the authority to unilaterally pass out billions of dollars and massive numbers of weapons to the most corrupt country on the planet, Ukraine. Ukraine has been criminal ole Joe’s money basket for a long, long time. Where in the hell is Congress. I thought they had control of the purse strings….. the Republican controlled House of Representatives at that.
I am really getting the feeling that everyone in political power in the United States is corrupt or afraid. There have been so many crimes exposed but nothing happens but talk, talk, talk, talk. No consequences. Hillary Clinton should be behind bars along with George Bush, Dick Cheney, and now Joe Biden along with his entire criminal family and fellow travelers in the Biden administration.
We are on the edge of a global nuclear war. Russia has just pulled out of a nuclear treaty with the US. Russia is not going to lose face in Ukraine. Putin will pull the trigger on nuclear weapons first.
And by the way, the United States did blow up the Nord Stream pipeline. There is no doubt. Fuckin’ Biden as usual made the decision. As reported time and time again, in his entire political life he has been on the wrong side of every decision regarding foreign relations. Now he is playing with nuclear fire.
Biden et al must go. I don’t know how or when, but he and the cackling VP have to be gone or our country is not going to survive. The doomsday clock is ticking. It is close to midnight.
Massive Solar Projects
[This piece was sent to the Kokomo Tribune. Not known if it will be published]
Are you paying attention?
In the name of clean energy, tax revenue, and landowner income; we are on the verge of losing 1,800 acres of prime farmland in eastern Howard County. If the Board of Zoning Appeals approves the project next Tuesday, a French energy company, ENGIE, will cover those acres with sterile solar panels for electricity. The area will be designated the “Emerald Green Solar Project”.
The catch is this is not for the short term. It will be for the next 30 or more years! That land will not be able to produce soy beans or corn or anything else for that matter for decades. Those are beans and corn that did go into the food supply directly or indirectly or into ethanol fuel for our vehicles. No more.
Could you guess where the solar panels are manufactured? You would be right if you guessed Communist China. The IAE (International Energy Agency) reports Communist China is the source of 75% of all solar modules, 85% of solar cells, 97% of solar wafers, and 79% of polysilicon used. Other countries than Communist China, like Viet Nam in the case of ENGIE, may do some of the assembly; but not make or supply the primary components.
And the kicker is there is yet another solar energy project coming right behind ENGIE/Emerald. This one is for 1,700 more Howard County farm acres. It is called “Locomotive Solar” by Ranger Power. It is being alleged that company is offering to pay $1,000 to people to support this project which does not yet have Board of Zoning Appeals approval either.
What is the point? All over the country massive solar field projects are popping up. The goal is to use solar panels to capture sun energy and convert it to electric power for electric utilities. The problem is these solar companies have tunnel vision. They want to gobble up massive acreages of flat, fertile farmland and take it out of production for agriculture for decades when the world is facing food shortages and hunger.
For example, due to war, Ukraine, called the “Bread Basket of the World”, will likely not harvest anything this growing season and for years to come. Europe and Africa depended heavily upon Ukraine crops for food. The United States will be called upon more and more for food supplies; not less.
This madness cannot continue. Technology moves fast. Today’s solar panel technology will be outdated very quickly. The frenzy to cover the world with today’s panels will cease. Then what? And if today’s panels are useful, put them on brownfields or on building roof tops, or on non-tillable lands; not on some of the richest, most fertile farmland in the world.
Hummmm…..
I pass this home in Howard County, Indiana, pretty frequently. Seems to represent my sentiments exactly.
Sham Debate
[Marcia Blacklidge wrote and posted on Gettr:]
More about that sham debate (supposed to be between McDaniel, Dhillon, and Lindell) — the purpose of a political debate is 4 candidates — not their surrogates — to show why they deserve to be elected. We all know this! And Bannon and Fredericks have rightly & often criticized the Dems 4 avoiding debates. Yesterday, Fredericks had the nerve to pretend in that sham a real debate was taking place! Can you see how the thirst 4 power has corrupted the ethics of Bannon, Fredericks and Harmeet? Wren (the surrogate for Dhillon) even suggested we beat the Dems at cheating until WE can win and change things. People clapped 4 that. Only Mike said, “No, that’s not the way, you’ll never get there doing that.” I call on Kent, Lake & all others who have endorsed Harmeet to withdraw their support now! Winning cannot be so dear we sell r souls 4 it!
RNC Coming Election
Those who will vote soon for Chairperson of the Republican National Committee (The Republican Party) have one chance to get it right. There are three candidates on the ballot: Ronna McDaniel (current Chairwoman), Harmeet Dhillon, and Mike Lindell. There is one and only one who deserves to lead the Republican Party. That person is Mike Lindell. And why, you ask?
Ronna McDaniel has failed as Party leader. She has been great at fund raising, but look at the results of the 2022 General Election. This was supposed to be a Republican sweep of the House of Representatives and the gaining of a majority in the Senate. Neither happened. Yes, Republicans now have a narrow majority in the House, but are in the minority in the Senate. Many of us believe it happened in large part because McDaniel chose not to support several MAGA (Make America Great Again) candidates in the Republican primaries causing them to lose. She withheld financial support. She went with Republican Establishment candidates instead or chose not to be involved at all.
And there have been allegations that McDaniel spent donor money unwisely on frivolous items for her staff….. tens of thousands of dollars. This charge was the icing on the cake. McDaniel, Senator Mitt Romney’s (RINO) niece, does not deserve re-election. She failed.
And how about Harmeet Dhillon. Dhillon is a west coast California based attorney who was educated at Dartmouth and the University of Virginia on the East Coast. She is a respected, competent attorney who has been involved as legal counsel in many Republican fights against corruption and fraudulent elections. She is a former vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party, but cannot point at anything she has accomplished herself as part of the California Republican leadership. Her promises, if elected as Chairwoman of Republican Party, include “planning” for the next two years, encouraging better ballot harvesting than the Democrats, and more voting by mail and early voting. In other words, out cheat the cheaters. As Chairwoman, she would be out of her lane. She needs to stay as legal counsel and fight in courts in which she has had mixed results.
Then we have Mike Lindell. Lindell has devoted his life and his fortune to seeing the United States get healthy again. He knows more about election fraud than about anyone. He financed a Computer Symposium that exposed the fraud of the 2020 and 2022 elections. Hard evidence. Lindell does not want fraud to benefit either the Democrats or the Republicans. He wants elections to be fair and honest; period. He knows how to make them so. His biggest push is to ditch all machines and go back to paper hand counted ballots.
Further, Lindell is a man of the people and frankly, a genius. He has been through rough times in his life, turned it around, and built a multi-million dollar business, My Pillow. His company employs thousands. Lindell knows how to get things done and, like President Donald Trump, he does not owe allegiance to any special interest group, lobbyist, big donors, or to the Washington Establishment. He is an independent businessman and devoted patriot. Just what the Republican National Party needs; not more Establishment.
Getting Lindell elected is somewhat of a long shot, but he is the only qualified candidate on the ballot…. And is he qualified!
Search for a Speaker
We have been watching the US House of Representatives struggle to elect a Speaker of the House. The Speaker has incredible power over House procedures, the movement of legislation, the appointment of Committees and Committee Chairs, and more. Nothing happens in the House without the approval of the Speaker. We know that clearly from the past reign of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat in a Democrat House majority.
The big question is whether Kevin McCarthy, who has been the minority leader and leader of the Republican Caucus, is the person to be Speaker. To become Speaker, one must garner a favorable vote from the majority of Representatives. In times past, this has been almost automatic for the winner to be the existing leader of the political party in the majority. Not now.
The majority held by the Republican Party in the new Congress is slim; only a few votes. McCarthy has managed to alienate several Representatives who now have taken a stand against him becoming Speaker. The number now is about 20 who oppose him.
Representative Warren Davidson rose for one of the Congressional votes for Speaker to nominate McCarthy. As part of his nomination speech, he read a long list of changes in Republican Caucus and House procedures and rules McCarthy had agreed to make. Davidson must have thought this to be a positive move, but it came across as an indictment of McCarthy’s inaction in the time he has been minority leader. Why haven’t changes already been made or promised without the pressure from the now opponents of him. Frankly, McCarthy cannot now be trusted.
It is time to move on. McCarthy needs to step aside. His opponents are entrenched in opposition to him. As long as they are, there will be no Speaker. Unless!!!!
It is not beyond possibility that McCarthy will begin to negotiate with Democrats for votes. Not many votes from Democrats would be needed to take McCarthy into a majority of the House vote and the Speaker office. Democrats do not have any possibility of electing one of their own as Speaker even if they stick together 100%. Democrats may conclude it better to support a Speaker that has made concessions to them, which he would have to do to get their votes. What concessions: committee appointments, agreement about specific legislation, and more. This would be a disaster for conservative Republicans and a win for Democrats.
McCarthy made the arrogant decision to physically move into the Speaker’s office before being chosen as Speaker. I think this says it all. Do we want another dictator Pelosi as Speaker of the House? I don’t think so.
Biden 2024
[This was an observation early on in the 2020 Biden presidency. Now ole Joe has announced he will be running for President again in 2024. God Help Us!]
In February 1988, Biden sustained the rupture of the cerebral (brain)aneurysm and almost died, except for the heroic efforts of his neurosurgeon. Three months later, a second aneurysm had to be clipped. After the second procedure his neurosurgeon gave him less than a 50% chance of a full recovery. With that history one would think that the media would have questioned him during his presidential campaign about whether any diagnostic studies had been done in the interim, but they did not. His health status was never seriously questioned.
On his most recent published physical exam it was noted that he has persistent atrial fibrillation. This diagnosis alone would not qualify him for standard life insurance because of a 5-fold increase for a stroke. The treatment for this condition is chronic anti coagulation, which in a feeble, unsteady 78 year old male, who falls three times while ascending the stairs of Air Force One is extremely risky. A severe fall with a head injury could result in a fatal cerebral hemorrhage.
His mental and cognitive status has obviously deteriorated as is apparent to anyone who watches him speak, despite his handlers ‘attempts to protect him as much as possible. Speaking in short sentences with frequent pauses, the need for notes to answer questions, using jumbled words without meaning short term memory lapses (forgets the name of General Austin, and two female generals he is honoring) are all definite signs of brain damage. It surprises me that his wife, (Jill) who knew his shortcomings better than anyone else, could not have talked him out of taking the most difficult job in the world.
Of interest also is the fact that since 9/11 it has been the United States Government policy to have the president and vice president travel separately, NOT ANYMORE. Kamala Harris is only a few steps behind him whether by air, land or sea. This is obviously because he may say the wrong thing, fall or have a medical emergency. He would also be the first president to have the nuclear button removed from his sole use.
So, where does this lead us? It tells me that Kamala Harris will be our President sooner rather than later. This alone sends shivers up my spine.
The Democratic party, directed of course by Barack, knew this would be the case despite the fact that she received the fewest votes of any candidate for President in the crowded Democratic primaries. Harris was second only to Bernie Sanders on the Socialist/Marxist scorecard and this resonates very well with Obama’s ideology, nurtured by the Saul Alinsky playbook.
So what can we do about this? First of all, I recommend that you PRAY FERVENTLY, because divine intervention may be necessary. Secondly, I recommend that you pay very close attention to the midterm elections next year and vote for the people who love America and our Democracy.
Leonard J. Hertko, M.D. Orland Park