Texas Democratic Senate Nominee James Talarico Threatened By Pete Hegseth Pastor Who Wishes His Death!

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In an extremely shocking development, the pastor who is the closest spiritual adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has called for the death of Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico by crucifixion, over the issue of his belief in the original teachings and beliefs of Jesus Christ, humanitarian Christianity, rather than the hardline right wing extremist view of White Christian Nationalists.

This should lead to the condemnation of this pastor for advocating violence, as this is not just a threat to Talarico, but to anyone who would challenge the hatred of Christian Nationalists.

Also, Pete Hegseth should, but will not, condemn this pastor as beyond the pale in his rhetoric.

How is this any different than those who condemn Islamic extremists who call for the death of those who refuse to accept the Muslim faith?

How is this any different than those extremist right wing Jews in Israel who advocate death and destruction of all Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza?

How is this different than those extremists in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths who advocate hatred, violence, and destruction against those who challenge extremist, nationalist rhetoric and actions?

James Talarico is an inspiring, dynamic young man who offers hope for advancement and love of true Christian values, but now he is in danger of some extremist deciding it is his mission to eliminate this Senate candidate, who offers a brighter future in American politics, if he is able to be successful in his quest for a Senate seat in Texas.

Clearly, Talarico will need sufficient security protection both now, and even more so, if he succeeds in his goal of serving his state in the US Senate.

This is a terrible tragedy, and very worrisome situation, and all decent people have to pray and hope for his safety!

Analysis Of Potential Democratic Presidential Contenders In 2028, But Who Are The Likely Serious Contenders?

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We are months away from the true beginning of the 2028 Presidential race, which will be in full blossom the day after the Midterm Elections take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

However, already, there are clearcut signs of activities and planning moving ahead, with the strong likelihood that we might see an overwhelming number of Democrats announcing for President, with the number possibly as high as in the mid 20s, similar to several past Presidential campaigns.

Many contenders will not be taken seriously, but even announcing for President gains lots of publicity and attention for any future ambitions.

At this point, the following ten potential contenders for the White House on the Democratic side, would seem to be the following in no specific order:

California Governor Gavin Newsom
Illinois Governor JD Pritzker
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear
Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
Former Vice President Kamala Harris (California)

There is speculation about a wide variety of other potential candidates.

Other seen as far less likely include:

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego
Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff
Hawaii Governor Josh Green
Colorado Governor Jared Polis
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock

Those from the House of Representatives mentioned, although never has a member of the lower house of Congress been nominated, with the one exception of James A. Garfield, for the Republicans in 1880, while also a candidate for the US Senate, which he won on the same day he won the White House, are:

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
California Congressman Ro Khanna

From outside government, those mentioned include

Stephen A. Smith, sports media personality
Jon Stewart, commedian and commentator
Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur and Television Personality
Rahm Emanuel, former Ambassador to Japan and Mayor of Chicago

At this point, the odds would be very great that one of the first group of ten would be the nominee.

However, within that group, “negative” factors could be that

Kamala Harris is African American, Asian American, and female

Wes Moore and Cory Booker are African American

JD Pritzker and Josh Shapiro are Jewish

Pete Buttigieg is gay

Only Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, Mark Kelly, and Chris Murphy would be seen as “traditional” contenders, meaning they are white male and straight, a sad commentary on America, that one even needs to mention that being a woman, or African American, or Jewish, or gay, is outside the so called “mainstream” of American politics in the past!

If we analyzed the remaining listed potential candidates for the Democrats, it would show the following:

Female—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gretchen Whitmer, Elissa Slotkin

African American or Asian American—Raphael Warnock, Stephen A. Smith, Ro Khanna

Latino American—Ruben Gallego, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Jewish—Elissa Slotkin, Jon Ossoff, Josh Green, Jared Polis, Jon Stewart, Mark Cuban, Rahm Emanuel

Gay—Jared Polis

So in conclusion, IF these various distinguishing factors are seen as detrimental in a Presidential campaign, then the choice that is left is only:

Gavin Newsom, Andy Beshear, Mark Kelly, Chris Murphy

Clarence Thomas Soon To Be Second Longest Serving Supreme Court Justice In American History!

Ronald 6 Comments

In October 1991, Clarence Thomas became the second African American Supreme Court Justice in American history, appointed by President George H W Bush, replacing the retired Thurgood Marshall, appointed to the Court in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Thomas had a highly contentious Supreme Court nomination battle, as he was accused of sexual harassment in the workplace by Anita Hill, a turning point which led to Thomas’s embitterment, and his life’s commitment to use his anger and fury in every way possible to undermine constitutional law, with his quest to promote “textualism” and “originalism”.

Thomas has been on the Court now for more than 34 years, and on Wednesday October 25, he will surpass the most famous and influential Justice in American history, Chief Justice John Marshall (1801-1835) in longevity, and be fourth all time in service.

And in early May, he will surpass Justice John Paul Stevens (1975-2010) and Justice Stephen J. Field (1863-1897) in longevity, and rank second all time in service, only behind Justice William O. Douglas (1939-1975).

If Thomas stays on the Court for two more years, he will be the top of the list of longevity in late May, 2028.

His impact on constitutional law has been massive, seen as mostly negative by a majority of constitutional and legal scholars, and many of his law clerks have ended up appointed by Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump to Federal District Court and Federal Circuit Court lifetime appointments.

In many ways, Thomas’s appointment by George H. W. Bush may have had the longest and greatest impact of any action taken by the 41st President!

Donald Trump Public Opinion Rating In Wartime Collapsing

Ronald 59 Comments

Donald Trump’s Iran War is causing a collapse in his popularity, which already was under water.

His lack of strategy, and his reckless incitement for war, when Iran was not a direct threat anytime soon on America, is an indication of how dangerous a wartime leader he is.

Trump is attacking NATO nations for refusal to engage in a war that was not essential, and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is causing a massive oil and gasoline crisis, with motorists now paying one dollar more per gallon, compared to three weeks ago, when the war began.

The overall cost of living is skyrocketing, and that is bad news for Republicans in the upcoming Midterm Elections of 2026, the reason why Donald Trump is trying to interfere with the right to vote, and trying to destroy the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to fix the elections for Republicans.

Traditionally, the midterm elections always see a decline in the number of seats controlled by the President’s party, and a real landslide for Democrats looks likely, assuming Trump cannot succeed in his mission to limit the right to vote, through the proposed SAVE America Act.

The history of Presidents seeing popularity drop during wartime is stark:

Harry Truman had reached a high of 69 percent in 1949, but during the Korean War in 1952, his rating dropped to 22 percent, minus 47 points.

Lyndon B. Johnson had reached a high of 78 percent in 1963, after he succeeded the assassinated John F. Kennedy, but during the Vietnam War, his rating in 1968 dropped to 35 percent, minus 43 points.

Jimmy Carter had reached a high of 58 percent in January 1980, but in the next five months of the Iranian hostage crisis, his rating dropped to 27 percent, minus 31 points.

George W. Bush had reached a high of 90 percent after September 11, 2001, but in the midst of the Iraqi Civil War intervention in 2007, his rating dropped to 29 percent, minus 61 points.

And Joe Biden had reached a high of 56 percent in June 2021, but after the Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021, his rating dropped to 43 percent, minus 13 points.

Trump has reached a low of 36 percent at this time, and is likely to go lower.

Donald Trump: A Horrendous Role Model For Young Men And Women, And For America’s Reputation Internationally!

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Nearly nine years ago, this author and blogger created a title for an article about Donald Trump, after just five months in office, declaring him, that early in his first term, he was a horrendous role model for young men and women.

While this author and blogger has written a massive amount about Donald Trump since 2017, this specific title was not developed beyond the original title.

But now, after the events and comments of Donald Trump this past week, on top of a multitude of outrageous, despicable statements by Donald Trump over the long haul, it is clearly time to develop this article.

Just in the past week, Donald Trump has uttered the following:

Revealed the terrible health diagnosis of Florida Congressman Neal Dunn, who has a supposed terminal heart condition, with Trump stating that Dunn would be dead by June, shocking even Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, sitting next to him, by so making public what was not appropriate to utter. And all that Donald Trump cares about is that Neal Dunn will make every effort to be there and vote, at a time when the House of Representatives Republican majority is the least in 90 years!

Revealed publicly that his White House Chief of Staff Suzie Wiles has breast cancer, rather than letting her decide what if anything about her condition should be reported. But again, his comment is that Wiles will work full time while undergoing treatment, with it being clear that is more important to him than the idea that Wiles should take time off while undergoing chemotherapy.

Shamelessly, in front of the Japanese Prime Minister, joked about Pearl Harbor, leading to a shocked face, comparing it to his surprise attack on Iran, without any consultation with Congress, and ignoring the fact that post World War II Japan has been a loyal ally for 80 years. And Trump has done great damage to our relationship with our NATO and other allies, alienating them with his protective tariffs and ugly rhetoric and criticism.

Celebrated the death on Truth Social of former FBI Head Robert Mueller, a great public servant as FBI head and heroic military hero in Vietnam, who sacrificed to lead the investigation into Russian collusion in the Presidential Election of 2016.

What kind of human being acts this way, but this is common and typical of Donald Trump, who will stand for all time as the most despicable, immoral, unethical excuse for a human being of any President of the United States.

For the past five decades since the downfall of Richard Nixon, considered the most criminal and lawless President in American history, it was assumed no future President would be worse.

But as the saying goes, Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look like a “Choir Boy” by comparison!

America is going through a nightmare scenario, and the goal is to work to survive the end of Donald Trump and “Trumpism” over the next three years, and restore American Democracy and the Rule of Law, after the tremendous harm and damage perpetrated by Trump and his corrupt sycophantic Cabinet, the worst in American history!

Media Monopoly A Threat That Needs To Be Stopped By State Attorneys Generals!

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For 30 years, America has been burdened by the biased, extremist right wing Rupert Murdoch control of Fox News Channel, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post.

But now, other multi billionaires Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, are on the road to creation of an even more damaging extremist right wing monopoly of the media, under the title Paramount Skydance, and with Bari Weiss, the new executive at CBS News, a willing partner.

If they are not stopped by hoped for successful action in court of states’ Attorneys Generals, the following news organizations and other cable channels will be lost as stable, balanced sources of news and entertainment, as they would be part of a massive monopoly:

Cable News Network (CNN)
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
CBS Entertainment
Comedy Central
Home Box Office (HB0)
MTV
Nickelodeon
Discovery Channel
TLC
Turner Classic Movies
Food Network
Cartoon Network

Sports entertainment would be also be part of this massive monopoly, including combining the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and also Golf, Tennis, College Basketball, and Soccer under the same umbrella.

This not only will destroy two reputable news organizations, but also undermine movie theaters and the film industry, as the intention of the Ellisons is to put their emerging monopoly on films only online in the long term, leading to shutting down of movie theaters.

This would be a pro Trump media monopoly, and undermine competition in the entertainment industry on sports, on television news coverage, and in the film industry.

The thought of CBS and CNN being destroyed, with their long term legacy of a century and half century, respectively, is emotionally hard to imagine!

C SPAN Celebrating 47 Years Of Exceptional Coverage Of American Government And Politics!

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C SPAN is celebrating its 47th Anniversary, having been started on March 19, 1979, covering American politics and government in a non partisan way, unmatched by any other news media source.

The public service began through its founder, executive Chairman, and now retired CEO Brian Lamb, and co-CEO Susan Swain, to provide the American people gavel to gavel coverage of Congress, but also of the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and major news events and gatherings, along with coverage of British, Australian, and Canadian government events.

Major news events in domestic and foreign affairs, all balanced without any clear bias, including election campaigns and national Presidential conventions, and Supreme Court case arguments, are also offered.

The cable television industry formed C SPAN as a nonprofit public service, and operates independently, as a non biased presentation of public affairs.

It offers gavel to gavel coverage of both houses of Congress, with the US House of Representatives on C SPAN One, and the US Senate on C SPAN Two, and also has American History lectures and specials on American History on C SPAN Three.

Washington Journal allows citizens to call in with their views and questions on public affairs, and Book Notes covers lectures and interviews with authors on non fiction topics.

C SPAN began full time operations in September 1982, and Senate coverage on C SPAN Two in June 1986, and C SPAN Three in January 2001.

Brian Lamb spent many years interviewing non fiction authors on Booknotes, including this author, scholar, and blogger on his book, “Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama” in the Fall of 2015, and he was a gracious interviewer.

Overall, it is estimated about 40 percent of Americans watch C SPAN in any calendar year, and it is a significant service in promoting knowledge of public affairs.

Right Wing Split Over Iran War Escalates

Ronald 60 Comments

Who would think that the Donald Trump MAGA Republicans are rapidly escalating their massive split over the Iran War, perpetrated by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel 19 days ago?

We are seeing a major, bitter dispute of two groups of so called MAGA Republican and right wing Sycophants, on their podcasts and also right wing cable stations, particularly Fox News Channel.

In the Anti Iran War camp, we have among others:

Tucker Carlson
Joe Rogan
Megyn Kelly
Candace Owens
Steve Bannon
Piers Morgan

In the pro Iran War camp, we have among others:

Mark Levin
Ben Shapiro
Sean Hannity
Jesse Watters
Brian Kilmer
Laura Loomer

Both camps are engaging in bitter, nasty, aggressive, insulting rhetoric, almost like a “holy war”, more than a bit shocking!

And sadly, the Anti Iran War camp is engaging in antisemitism on a massive scale, along with anti Israel rhetoric, denouncing Zionism in a way highly disturbing!

Hints Of Split Between Trump And Vance, Reminding Us Of Other Such Splits Between Presidents And Vice Presidents!

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There are growing signs of a split developing between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance over the Iran War.

Vance has been unusually quiet and in the background, since the now 18 day war against Iran began on February 28.

Of course, Vance is NOT stating his disagreement over strategy and tactics openly, but his demeanor and public utterances hint at a growing distance of Vance from Trump.

Vance was clearly an isolationist in his brief term in the US Senate, and made public statements for years of an “America First” mentality, wanting America to step out of a major role in world affairs.

Vance was quick to condemn Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2025 when he was at the White House, but now he sits mostly silently at White House meetings, and his body language indicates discomfort.

Vance is certainly thinking ahead to the thought of the 2028 Presidential election, and trying to figure out how to manage a likely challenge from someone he calls his “friend”, but clearly is very ambitious and desirous of running for the Presidency.

That person is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been promoting the intervention in Iran in a major way, although consistently changing the reasoning and strategy of that war.

This is not the first time a President and Vice President have been at odds over policy and approach to governing.

Earlier examples are:

Thomas Jefferson under John Adams 1797-1801
Aaron Burr under Thomas Jefferson 1801-1805
John C. Calhoun under John Quincy Adams 1825-1829
John C. Calhoun under Andrew Jackson 1829-1832
Thomas Marshall under Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921
Charles G. Dawes under Calvin Coolidge 1925-1929
John Nance Garner under Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1941
Henry A. Wallace under Franklin D. Roosevelt 1941-1945
Hubert Humphrey under Lyndon B. Johnson 1965-1969
Al Gore under Bill Clinton 1993-2001
Dick Cheney under George W. Bush 2001-2009
Mike Pence under Donald Trump 2017-2021

The first four situations in the early years of the American Republic were major issues, as was Garner under FDR, while the others were more hidden or “behind the scenes”, more recognized after the fact.

It will be fascinating to see how this growing division between Trump and Vance play out, and whether it will have an effect on who Trump endorses for the Republican nomination in 2028, assuming that Trump does not leave office by incapacity or death before that election.

Donald Trump, The Iran War, And NATO Response

Ronald 30 Comments

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu decided to provoke a war with Iran on February 28, when there was no imminent danger of Iran being a threat that had to be dealt with, without planning and coordination.

So far, 13 American servicemen and women have died; approximately 168 children and staff were killed at an elementary school in Teheran; neighboring nations in the Middle East have been dragged into the war by Iran utilizing drones and missiles; and the Strait of Hormuz has been declared off limits by Iran against nations attacking and causing loss of life and destruction of infrastructure and historic sites for the past 17 days.

The international economy is in crisis, as oil and gasoline supplies are affected by the war, and prices are skyrocketing.

Donald Trump is now threatening news media for their realistic, honest assessment of a war that was not necessary, and with the clear indication that Benjamin Netanyahu prodded Donald Trump into military action, something that earlier Presidents had not allowed to occur.

So it is understandable to anyone who is reasonable, that NATO allies and other nations outside of NATO, are not willing to commit to engagement in dealing with the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz

And Donald Trump is now threatening action against NATO allies because of their refusal, at this point, to get involved, as NATO is committed to support when a nation in its alliance is attacked, the “collective defense” argument, not where a war is waged by choice. And military involvement is meant to be within the general geographic area of the alliance’s members.

The nations that have shown reluctance include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the European Union, as well as nations outside NATO, including Japan, Australia, and even China!

But Donald Trump has no respect for NATO nations, nor nations outside of NATO, anymore than the rights of a free news media to report TRUTH and FACTS, not MYTHS and LIES!