military news

Talk to us, Mr. POTUS

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Presidents of the United States have a number of unwritten rules they are expected to follow, even though they aren’t inscribed anywhere.

They serve as national comforters, consolers, cheerleaders. They also are required — in a manner of speaking — to explain complicated policy decisions to the people they are elected to serve.

How does Donald J. Trump do on any of those examples? He’s not worth a crap at any of them! I want to focus briefly on the final example.

Trump needs to explain to the American public, his bosses, why he has sent young Americans into battle against Iran. We’ve lost about seven young people already. They were killed in the first days of this air campaign. Trump did receive some of them when their remains were returned to Dover, Del. He hasn’t offered a reason why they died.

Trump has yet to formulate a policy that makes sense. He also hasn’t taken the time to explain his action to an American public that clearly lacks the stomach for another endless war, the kind of conflict Trump pledged he never would enter were he elected in 2024; that pledge helped him secure the victory.

He has tossed that promise into the shitter. He needs to tell us what the hell he’s doing, why he’s doing it and what he expects the nation will gain from it.

A national TV speech would be well worth the time and effort. Mr. POTUS, I and others are waiting for some answers.

national news

Trump’s damage will last longer than the POTUS

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Donald Trump’s time in the Oval Office has an end date, and I am grateful for that deadline.

However, the damage Trump has done — and is doing — is likely to last longer than his time in office. That consequence saddens me to no end. The damage is being done to the public perception of our electoral process.

He has been hammering at the credibility of that process since he lost his re-election bid during the 2020 election. Joe Biden beat his sorry behind but Trump never accepted the beating he took. His constant yammering about electoral credibility has sown plenty of doubt among too many Americans.

I believe none of the nonsense that Trump has fomented since 2020. Too many state legislatures, though, are controlled by Republicans and they have acted to make voting an arduous task for many citizens. They call it “voter suppression” and it appears to be working.

I hear from friends and aquaintances in North Texas about the doubt they say lingers over the election process. I have heard too many of them say something like “if it counts” when describing the act of voting. My answer always is, “Yes … it counts!”

The lasting damage to the public’s perception of our cherished voting process is troubling in the extreme and it serves as a damning testament to the harm committed to our public service by an imbecile who has no understanding or appreciation of the work done to further our democratic process.

military news

What if this were a boxing match?

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Try for a moment to consider the conflict between the United States/Israel and Iran to be a boxing match.

I’d be tempted to call it a heavweight fight, except that would be a misnomer. Iran is nowhere near the same class as the United States, let alone a tag team comprising U.S. and Israeli military forces.

Donald Trump says the fight is just about over. Israeli spokespeople say it isn’t. The Israelis want to keep punching. To be honest, I tend to hope that Trump is correct, that the end of this foolishness might be at hand. Will he call a halt, winning by a TKO over a military force that admittedly is formidable, but which is no match for the massive arsenal being launched daily against targets in Iran?

I hope the POTUS is right on this one. Oh wait. I almost forgot that cannot trust a single word that comes from the mouth of the liar in chief.

I guess Trump posesses a puncher’s chance of landing a knockout blow. I do hope it is sooner rather than later.

military news

No way to wage war

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The commander in chief of the world’s mightiest military force appears to be conducting a war operation from the overfed seat of his pants.

Therefore, I will assert that is no way to wage war against a determined, fanatical and hardened regime dedicated to destroying the United States of America.

Donald J. Trump is the commander in chief who launched this war against Iran with no apparent end strategy, no apparent stated reason even for going to war in the first place and with a defense secretary who is more interested in bragging about the technology and expertise of the fighting force than he is about the suffering being inflicted on civilians and on the loss of the personnel who have died at the hands of the Iranians.

Donald Trump said yesterday that the war will “end soon,” but didn’t offer any kind of timetable. He demands “unconditional surrrender” from the Iranians. How in the name of surrrendering does he expect the Iranians to wave the white flag and call a halt to the bloodshed inflicted by the United States of America …. aka the Great Satan?

I applaude Trump already for getting rid of Iran’s ayatollah, killing him in the initial round of bombing strikes. Iran installed Ali Khameini’s son as the new imam in chief. The younger Khameini is thought to be even more militant than Daddy Ayatollah!

I just can’t figure out what the hell is going on here. I want the bombing to stop. I strongly oppose sending troops to fight the Iranians on the ground. Trump promised to end the “endless wars.” This conflict could take on the appearace of another endless war if the POTUS isn’t careful.

And we know already about the stunning lack of care and thought Trump puts into any decision he makes.

national news

Trump: madman at work

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The longer we remain at war with a nation that poses no direct threat to this nation, the more convinced I become that the man who started this war is a certifiable madman.

OK, so that’s not a huge flash to many of you who read this blog regularly. I have stated already my loathing for the POTUS and for most of the policy decisions he makes. What troubles me beyond all that is reasonable in this war with Iran is that the decision came seemingly in the dead of night, with no one next to the POTUS to caution him of the terrible risk he is taking.

What’s more, Donald Trump took this action without seeming to comprehend fully the enormous responsbility he bears when he sends young Americans into harm’s way ostensibly to protect our national interests.

Which interest is Trump protecting with this foolish and feckless act?

Iran’s leadership needed to be wiped out. The initial strike took care of the Ayatollah Ali Khameini. What follows remains anyone’s guess. Will the new ayatollah be any better? Will he assume power with his hand out in a gesture of peace? I can’t continue down this path because I will be laughing too hard derisively at such a notion.

Trump won the 2024 election vowing to end our involvement in “needless war,” only to break that promise and immediately put thousands of young Americans at risk of death or injury.

Yep. Make no mistake that Donald John Trump is out of control. He wants to seize Greenland from Denmark, wants to annex Canada as the 51st state in the U.S.A., wants to run Venezuela as if it’s a casino and now — and this is totally rich — is considering whether to take control of Cuba.

Oh, and let’s not forget reports that the POTUS is giving serious thought to sending ground troops into Iran.

He’s out of what passes for his mind.

local news

Let’s make DST permanent … OK?

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High Plains Blogger is aiming this message directly at two members of the Texas Legislature, both of whom represent the author of this blog in that august body of lawmakers.

Listen up, state Sen. Angela Paxton and state Rep. Candy Noble! I am going to ask you to please work to get your colleagues to hammer out a deal that gives us a permanent measure of our time. I dislike changing the clocks back and forth twice a year. It’s not a huge deal for me, but it is becoming a bit of an annoyance.

We’re going to “spring forward” tomorrow when we go from Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time.

Two legislative sessions failed to cobble together an acceptable agreement. The 2023 Legislature sought to put a measure to a vote, asking Texans their preference: permanent Standard Time, permanent DST or keep the current practice of switching back and forth? After some soul-searching and personal introspection, I decided I prefer to keep the clocks set to Daylight Saving Time.

DST keeps the sun in the sky a little longer in the evening, enabling folks such as me to do chores around the yard during the growing season.

I get the arguments in favor of DST, that it saves electricity. That’s a noble reason all by itself. Therefore, I am all for it.

The Legislature seemingly couldn’t get its act together in time to finish work on the resolution it intended for Texans to settle. The 2027 Legislature will be upon us in due course. I will just ask Sen. Paxton and Rep. Noble to get their stuff together quickly and persuade their colleagues to get with the program.

Let’s put this matter to a vote.  Let us also hope we can keep Daylight Saving Time a permanent fixture on our calendar.

national security, national security team

Sen. Hothead joins Trump team

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Well now, Donald Trump has just fired one of the most incompetent members of our national security team and replaced her with a fellow who once challenged a Senate committee witness to a fistfight in the middle of a hearing.

I don’t know about you, but I do not feel one little bit safer now than before.

Kristi Noem made a hash of our Homeland Security Department with her handling of the ICE goons she loosed on the streets of our cities. She spent $200 million of our tax money to produce glam-shot ads featuring her and touting the successes she insisted occurred during Trump’s administration.

We started a war with Iran, several American warriors died right away, and Noem couldn’t bring herself to offer a word of condolence to the survivors of the soldiers who died.

Trump cut her loose. Fine. Good bye and good riddance!

Up steps Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to become the Homeland Security secretary. He’s a Trump loyalist through and through. No surprise there, given that’s what Trump wants in Cabinet nominees. What is astounding to me is that Trump would select a guy who about a year ago had to be called down by a committee chairman for wanting to settle a dispute with a witness with his fists.

Sen. Hothead actually stood up and challenged the witness right there in front of the whole world!

This is the guy whom Trump has chosen to lead our homeland security defense team? Trump said he always intends to hire “the best people” to advise him. Markwayne Mullin, to my eyes, appears to be one of the worst.

International news, military news

Chaos reigns at DHS

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All righty, kids, here is what I understand has happened in the war with Iran … and make no mistake, we are at war with a nation of 90-plus million individuals who are governed by a group who made “Death to America” a household phrase in the Middle East nation.

Donald Trump sends in air power off the deck of two nuclear-powered air craft carriers. U.S. and Israeli pilots bomb the crap out of Iranian command and control centers. Iran strikes back and already we have service personnel listed as killed in action.

The POTUS trots out his incompetent homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to lie to us about motives for going to war. Noem spends more time fighting with reporters than answering their questions. Noem is supposedly our go-to Cabinet official, correct?

Then Trump fires Noem. He brings in Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mullen’s got to go from zero to 150 in an instant.

We have witnessed a prescription for chaos … at precisely the worst time, while we have launched a war with a regional power such as Iran.

I support the removal of Kristi Noem as DHS secretary. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. The brutal truth, though, is this: There could no “good time” to cut her loose. Trump started this war with no clear goal in mind, no exit strategy if we ever achieve that unknown goal, and little support from Americans who are sending their young treasure into battle.

God help us … please!

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Talarico: the real Democratic deal!

James Talarico has emerged as the latest political star in Texas and he hopes to parlay his standing into a successful career in Congress.

The man has my support and I am about to explain why.

Talarico is a man of deep Christian faith. He wears his faith plainly and professes it from the campaign stump. He’s a Presbyterian seminary student and he has a graduate degree in economics. He’s a smart guy.

Talarico’s faith, though, carries an important caveat that he’s also proud to display. Talarico understands what the founders intended when they drafted the nation’s governing document. They intended to create a secular state free of religious influence. James Talarico gets it … and endorses the founders’ intention.

He has emerged as a fierce foe of Christian nationalists, those who seek to turn the U.S.A. into a Christian nation.

I guess I favor Talarico because he and I share the same view of the religion to which we both profess our faith. I practice my faith with enthusiasm, but am reluctant to shove it down the throats of others.

I want Talarico to succeed in his quest to win a U.S. Senate seat. If he defeats Sen. John Cornyn in the fall, I suspect it will occur because voters have grown weary of D.C.-centered politicians like Cornyn passing laws we all must follow. If he manages to beat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, it well might be because Texans are disgusted with the way Paxton has conducted himself in the decade he has served in statewide elected office.

Talarico is a new breed of Texas Democrat, which in its way mirrors the way Democrats here used to present themselves.

The Democratic Senate nominee has time to refine his message, to fine-tune the manner in which he intends to deliver it. I also want him to ensure to keep the many promises he no doubt will make as he travels the length and breadth of this great state.

Many of us are waiting, James Talarico.

Donald Trump, State news

Cornyn’s time as senator is up?

If I were a betting man — and I damn sure am not — I might be inclined to think that Sen. John Cornyn is facing a serious challenge to his once-storied congressional career.

He’s going to face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26 in a runoff election for the Senate seat Cornyn has occupied seemingly since The Flood. Why the gloomy outlook?

Cornyn finished first in a three-way Republican Party primary, winning 42% of the vote. Paxton finished second with 41%. Third place went to U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who collected 13%.

Paxton and Hunt both paint Cornyn as a RINO, a ridiculous assertion on its face. If there is a more dedicated Republican in the Senate than Cornyn, I do not know who that would be. Indeed, Paxton and Donald Trump, his bestie in the White House, are the real Republicans in name only.

So, with the field narrowed to the top two GOP finishers, it falls on Paxton to seek Hunt voters to close the narrow gap between him and Cornyn. If the Hunt crowd is as MAGA gullible as I suspect they are, Paxton should have little trouble rounding up the support he needs to send Cornyn packing.

And what about Paxton? The guy is ethically challenged, to state the obvious. He was indicted early during his time as AG by a Collin County grand jury of securities trading allegations. He was supposed to go to trial long ago, but skated free of that episode. Several key legal aides quit the AG’s office and accused Paxton of corruption. The Republican-dominated House of Reps impeached Paxton, who then avoided conviction in the Texas Senate when Republican senators declined to follow their House colleagues’ lead.

If Paxton should manage to win the runoff, he will face a seriously rising star in the Texas Democratic Party, state Rep. James Talarico, who I will guess is dying to run against the ethically challenged AG.

We have just witnessed the opening act of a yearlong political drama. It’s going to get a whole lot rougher as we move on through the year. And if I were running the Democrat’s campaign, I just might be drooling at the chance to take on Ken Paxton.

First things first. Paxton has to win the GOP runoff. Here’s hoping for a donnybrookl

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