Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary, but he still has seven months to confront Epstein predators. Democratic lawmakers are also pushing back as Trump steals taxpayer dollars for J6 insurrectionists.
All of this Trump crime crap is infuriating, exhausting, overwhelming. And beyond voting, there is a little that anyone individual can do to stop it. I just give thanks to all of the individuals, organizations, and lawyers and law firms that have the energy and persistence to keep fighting these battles.
Well, there is something we all can do. Stop paying Federal taxes to the Federal government. Redirect them to the States to be held in escrow until this mess can be resolved. If it can´t be resolved, then we start a Soft Secession. Every Blue State is more than capable of independent governance. The Red States not so much. Without tax dollars from the Blue States, the Federal government will be seriously hobbled and will either be forced to reform or cease to exist. This is an excellent alternative to an all-out bloody Civil War, which is where we seem to be heading.
Thank you for helping your readers understand the reality of Felon47’s ever- increasing vengeful corruption, and completely unlawful appropriation of American tax dollars, Steven.
It is very important for every American to have their eyes wide-open, and communicate to their elected representatives loudly! We are the ONLY ONES who are coming to save our country!
It was gratifying to read in The Parnas Perspective this morning that two members of the Capital Police filed a lawsuit today contesting the legality of both the premise of the IRS lawsuit that Felon47 can’t sue himself, and the fact that the 14th Amendment precludes giving money to state or federal insurrectionists.They also bring up the continuing personal danger to Capital Police, and the observation that Felon47 is paying in advance for these rogues to be ready to obstruct legal proceedings in the future!
Can we take comfort that Felon47 and his sycophantic minions can be outwitted because they are stupid criminals? Think about the movie depiction of the “Home Alone” “Sticky Bandits” and SMILE!
So much blatant corruption and so little the average American can do, save voting. It is staggering what the Criminal in Chief does with the appearance getting away with it. I am pleased that 93 congress have signed on the amicus brief. I was heartened this morning to read that the J6 insurrection fund was being contested by officers who defended the Capitol. Keeping a slate of trump lies and thefts will ensure that he will be met with consequences. I call balderdash on Todd's proclamation that trump is untouchable. He is not congress and cannot singlehandedly enact a law. Bonus for today; unintended consequences for trump and regime due to his electioneering. Thanks, Steven!
All great comments. Mine will not compare in length, depth or breadth of knowledge. Let me simply say that I am gutted by these latest moves to reward the insurrectionists (duly charged and tried in courts of law) and to protect the criminality of this President. We forget that he is a convicted felon…at least his followers and supplicants do.
I have been thinking a lot about how to survive intellectually and emotionally after this latest body blow to the rule of law. I am having a very hard time squaring what my entire life’s civic understanding and grounding has been with this horror. Our Supreme Court has fallen. Our Justice Department has crumbled under the weight of Trump and Blanche. Republicans in Congress are too afraid to stand up to the mob boss that occupies the White House.
I feel like someone just told me there is no Santa Claus. Not that our government has ever been perfect and devoid of people with corrupt aims, but I really believed in the fairy tale of checks and balances, upon which my entire foundational understanding of what it means to be and American is founded.
Maximum turnout. Maximum accountability. Get rid of as many of these unprincipled sycophants as possible. Rebuild the systems and laws that actually support democracy and foundational values. To name a few..
What has impacted me the most about this period is the rapid collapse of our institutional framework. A framework that was designed by our founders to protect the individual against the overwhelming power of the government through the rule of law and checks and balances. We, the people, have been left to fend for ourselves-alone.
Congress is "dead on the water", the Supreme Court has enabled a Presidency with no checks on its power, the political parties have failed to promote the best candidates for responsible government, law firms, universities, the business community-all very powerful political players of yore, have caved in to the Trump Regime. The military have been so respectful of constitutionally mandated civilian leadership that are now verging on committing possible "war crimes".
When this nightmare is, hopefully, over, historians will need to objectively study this period to diagnose what went wrong-why did our institutional framework collapse, and so rapidly? Maybe be could learn a few lessons.
The Soviet Union collapsed because it was built over a succession of lies, continuosly repeated. Everyone knew they were lies but pretended they were true. Sound familiar?
I agree, Jose, that the rapidity with which this has happened is one of the most terrifying aspects of it. All the more reason to remove this regime from office. If we cannot make our collective voices heard in November, I shudder to think what this country may become.
This regime has demonized immigrants. The implied logic is that immigrants make these United States less "American" like in motherhood and apple pie.
But many of us immigrated to the United States and are now US Citizens to live in "the land of the free" and under the rule of law, coming from countries where we lived under an autocracy or dictatorship.
We, who have experienced what it is to live in a dictatorships immediately recognized J6 as an attempt by DJT to stay in power and were aghast to see so many politicians try to deny an objective truth.
Maybe that's why Brazil succeded in jailing Bolsonaro for 27 years for the same crime as DJT. They lived a dictatorship before. The weren't fooled!
Trump is a rabid beast trying to destroy our democracy.
It looks like he thinks he accomplished his task.
But no , he has not .
The majority of voters in this country abhor Trump and what he stands for.
Craven ,
bloodsucking greed.
His foolish enablers might think they are home free, but no they will never be .
Todd Blanche is a corrupt lawyer.
He will go down for his corruption. Not now , not today but soon , though not soon enough.
These MAGA types have elevated the worst president ever in this country , and possibly the world, to a tissue paper hill just awaiting a good rainstorm .
They are amoral fake “Christians. “Caring for no one but themselves and their criminal cohorts.
Fate has a way of catching up with these thugs.
I’m going to wait around and keep my eyes and ears open . And do every damn thing I can to spread the truth.
Perhaps if Rep. Massie, a highly intelligent and principled (if misguided) man, truly wants to make a difference, he should consider immediately switching parties, thereby reducing the razor thin Republican majority in the House, currently 221-215, to 220-216.
He would not only be making a powerful statement, but he might also encourage other "sensible" Republicans to follow him across the aisle and bring the whole, criminal enterprise of a Presidency to a grinding halt.
Our times call for clear, decisive action if we are to survive as a democracy.
Well, that would kill off any ambitions he has about his future. I’m not sure it would be helpful to Dems but it would create a social media storm. The Dems would likely be happy to have his vote - from outside their circle. He and Rand Paul helped build the ‘Freedom Caucus’ and get Marjorie Taylor Greene her first win. The Caucus also helped Boebert.
Massie can’t be a spoiler (write in candidate or run under the label of another party) in the General Election for the same office. KY has a “sour grapes” law. However he has almost 2 weeks to decide if he wants to try mucking up the KY Senate election where DJT made an endorsement for Andy Barr. Perhaps make AIPAC and DJT aligned PACs spend another $32M and for revenge, split split off some of the GOP vote.
There is a lot of $$ going into DJT endorsements that won’t be available for other races. I read that, of course, this is to cow other GOP candidates & incumbents. But some in the party are worried. They want to spend in other places that need shoring up. Not KY where the GOP is a 7 pt favorite before any campaign begins & not candidates like in TX where Paxton is a problem.
Trump's egomaniacal revenge is giving him the satisfaction of seeing those who didn't exhibit complete fealty to him, get run out of town. But these pleasures may come at the cost of several Republican seats.
Adopted in 1866, in the wake of the Civil War, the amendment notes that:
…neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States…all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void.
News flash: Somehow, late today many Republicans refused to play ball with the regime. They nixed the $1 billion for the monstrosity ballroom and then decided that the slush fund for traitors and trump's immunity from IRS actions, were a bridge too far. Maybe the lesson of Massie and Cassidy is that no matter how low one might grovel, trump will still go after you, no matter what. Knowing the inevitable can be liberating. Maybe more and more of the Republican Congress will get into some good trouble and flip off trump as they retire, sick of sucking up, sick of the damage. I live in hope, for the sake of accountability and a better conscience.
I might be too rosy in my hopium but you are right, there will be a treacherous path ahead, made worse as he continues to sink lower and lower, crazier and crazier. Our job is to keep the faith!
These states refused to reassume their state sovereignty, and their responsibility to save our country is disgraceful.
The fact is that the state representatives attending the constitutional convention in 1778 represented well-established, successful states, each with its own government and legal system. Those states were independent, sovereign entities that maintained their distinct identities in the same manner as the countries of Europe, such as England, France, and Germany. Each of those states would never allow another state to usurp its sovereignty, and they did not want this new government to diminish their state's existence or power. Remember that these states were at war with England, and all the states knew they needed to finance the war, so they gathered to devise a way to support their failing army. These 13 state representatives did not trust or like each other, but their war effort needed funding, and this meeting was the only way to finance it. Each of the 13 states was a proud, independent, strong, and successful entity, and if not for the war, they would not have needed a federal government. This convention in 1778 was a war zone, with opposing ideas presented by the Federalists, who wanted a strong federal government, and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed it and claimed that
The Constitution amounted to a conspiracy against their liberties, not least because it lacked a bill of rights. Patrick Henry argued that the Constitution was an assault on the sovereignty of the states: “Have they proposed a compact between states? If they had, this would be a confederation; it is, otherwise, most clearly a consolidated government. Lepore, Jill. These Truths: A History of the United States
They did not come to this meeting intending to weaken their sovereignty or the independence of their states. They needed a way to finance their army through the taxation of citizens of their states. Their constant concern was that the states would abrogate their own power and their individual rights.
“The Constitution also specifically enumerated the powers of the federal government to ensure that the states retained their own powers.”
Murray, Melissa. The U.S. Constitution:
If they were so worried about losing their state's rights, how did we get to where we are today, with the federal government powerful and controlling, and the states hiding in the wings, frightened by this crazy madman in the White House?
I believe it was a gradual process over 250 years, in which the states abdicated power to the federal government. I think it started at this convention when they included “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes.” Why this approach? Why give the government this power? Why not have the states collect federal taxes and remit the funds to the federal government? Why concede this power? Another example of the states ceding their power is the establishment of the Supreme Court. Why establish a court above the state supreme courts? Each state had its own judicial system, so why agree to have a court above its supreme court? Why?
And what about the 16th Amendment: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."
The Federal Government no longer had to govern well to be funded. It was now funded automatically. States, once financial intermediaries and negotiating agents for the People, lost their leverage. Instead of collecting revenue and allocating funds upward based on performance and need, States were reduced to compliance to receive their rightful share back. Washington gained a permanent revenue stream and the ability to fund. Lepore Jill, These truths
Why establish a new court with authority over its own state court decisions? Again, why agree to this phrase in the Constitution: “the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
If you think about it, there was much debate about the phrase “we the people”. It was argued that the states were the soul of a confederation, and the preamble should read “we the states.”
Again, the Founding Fathers were worried.
“The framers recognized the need for a strong national legislature capable of governing effectively, but they were also deeply concerned that such a body could wield its power tyrannically, trampling the people's rights.” Murray, Melissa. The U.S. Constitution:
Consider the existence of the different countries in Europe and the establishment of the European Union and NATO, and how no country lost any of its sovereignty with these countries, and think about the crippling effect of our government, and the fact that the House of Representatives was established, where state representatives could decide on expeditions, and where this no longer exists.
So, democratic states, are you going to refuse to reestablish states' rights, your state's power, and take back control of how our tax money is spent by the states collecting the federal taxes for its citizens into an escrow account, and then have your state representatives in Congress review how the collected funds will be spent and decide if they want to release these funds for that expenditure, that is taking back control by the people.
The IRS has enjoyed collecting from workers and protecting wealthy. Maybe it is time to let us keep our work money and let the corporate and wealthy catch up.
Looking forward to seeing what Massie does. He has the ammo from the Epstein files and the committee’s shadow hearings. The Democrats on the committee are just as fired up!
All of this Trump crime crap is infuriating, exhausting, overwhelming. And beyond voting, there is a little that anyone individual can do to stop it. I just give thanks to all of the individuals, organizations, and lawyers and law firms that have the energy and persistence to keep fighting these battles.
Well, there is something we all can do. Stop paying Federal taxes to the Federal government. Redirect them to the States to be held in escrow until this mess can be resolved. If it can´t be resolved, then we start a Soft Secession. Every Blue State is more than capable of independent governance. The Red States not so much. Without tax dollars from the Blue States, the Federal government will be seriously hobbled and will either be forced to reform or cease to exist. This is an excellent alternative to an all-out bloody Civil War, which is where we seem to be heading.
May not be a bad idea. 71% of US GNP is produced by Blue States. Thanks to Trump and the Republican Party we live in a Red State autocracy.
Thank you for helping your readers understand the reality of Felon47’s ever- increasing vengeful corruption, and completely unlawful appropriation of American tax dollars, Steven.
It is very important for every American to have their eyes wide-open, and communicate to their elected representatives loudly! We are the ONLY ONES who are coming to save our country!
It was gratifying to read in The Parnas Perspective this morning that two members of the Capital Police filed a lawsuit today contesting the legality of both the premise of the IRS lawsuit that Felon47 can’t sue himself, and the fact that the 14th Amendment precludes giving money to state or federal insurrectionists.They also bring up the continuing personal danger to Capital Police, and the observation that Felon47 is paying in advance for these rogues to be ready to obstruct legal proceedings in the future!
Can we take comfort that Felon47 and his sycophantic minions can be outwitted because they are stupid criminals? Think about the movie depiction of the “Home Alone” “Sticky Bandits” and SMILE!
So much blatant corruption and so little the average American can do, save voting. It is staggering what the Criminal in Chief does with the appearance getting away with it. I am pleased that 93 congress have signed on the amicus brief. I was heartened this morning to read that the J6 insurrection fund was being contested by officers who defended the Capitol. Keeping a slate of trump lies and thefts will ensure that he will be met with consequences. I call balderdash on Todd's proclamation that trump is untouchable. He is not congress and cannot singlehandedly enact a law. Bonus for today; unintended consequences for trump and regime due to his electioneering. Thanks, Steven!
All great comments. Mine will not compare in length, depth or breadth of knowledge. Let me simply say that I am gutted by these latest moves to reward the insurrectionists (duly charged and tried in courts of law) and to protect the criminality of this President. We forget that he is a convicted felon…at least his followers and supplicants do.
I have been thinking a lot about how to survive intellectually and emotionally after this latest body blow to the rule of law. I am having a very hard time squaring what my entire life’s civic understanding and grounding has been with this horror. Our Supreme Court has fallen. Our Justice Department has crumbled under the weight of Trump and Blanche. Republicans in Congress are too afraid to stand up to the mob boss that occupies the White House.
I feel like someone just told me there is no Santa Claus. Not that our government has ever been perfect and devoid of people with corrupt aims, but I really believed in the fairy tale of checks and balances, upon which my entire foundational understanding of what it means to be and American is founded.
Now what??
Maximum turnout. Maximum accountability. Get rid of as many of these unprincipled sycophants as possible. Rebuild the systems and laws that actually support democracy and foundational values. To name a few..
We have to respond with overwhelming force of will and active voting. That’s all that’s left.
What has impacted me the most about this period is the rapid collapse of our institutional framework. A framework that was designed by our founders to protect the individual against the overwhelming power of the government through the rule of law and checks and balances. We, the people, have been left to fend for ourselves-alone.
Congress is "dead on the water", the Supreme Court has enabled a Presidency with no checks on its power, the political parties have failed to promote the best candidates for responsible government, law firms, universities, the business community-all very powerful political players of yore, have caved in to the Trump Regime. The military have been so respectful of constitutionally mandated civilian leadership that are now verging on committing possible "war crimes".
When this nightmare is, hopefully, over, historians will need to objectively study this period to diagnose what went wrong-why did our institutional framework collapse, and so rapidly? Maybe be could learn a few lessons.
The Soviet Union collapsed because it was built over a succession of lies, continuosly repeated. Everyone knew they were lies but pretended they were true. Sound familiar?
I agree, Jose, that the rapidity with which this has happened is one of the most terrifying aspects of it. All the more reason to remove this regime from office. If we cannot make our collective voices heard in November, I shudder to think what this country may become.
This regime has demonized immigrants. The implied logic is that immigrants make these United States less "American" like in motherhood and apple pie.
But many of us immigrated to the United States and are now US Citizens to live in "the land of the free" and under the rule of law, coming from countries where we lived under an autocracy or dictatorship.
We, who have experienced what it is to live in a dictatorships immediately recognized J6 as an attempt by DJT to stay in power and were aghast to see so many politicians try to deny an objective truth.
Maybe that's why Brazil succeded in jailing Bolsonaro for 27 years for the same crime as DJT. They lived a dictatorship before. The weren't fooled!
Trump is a rabid beast trying to destroy our democracy.
It looks like he thinks he accomplished his task.
But no , he has not .
The majority of voters in this country abhor Trump and what he stands for.
Craven ,
bloodsucking greed.
His foolish enablers might think they are home free, but no they will never be .
Todd Blanche is a corrupt lawyer.
He will go down for his corruption. Not now , not today but soon , though not soon enough.
These MAGA types have elevated the worst president ever in this country , and possibly the world, to a tissue paper hill just awaiting a good rainstorm .
They are amoral fake “Christians. “Caring for no one but themselves and their criminal cohorts.
Fate has a way of catching up with these thugs.
I’m going to wait around and keep my eyes and ears open . And do every damn thing I can to spread the truth.
Perhaps if Rep. Massie, a highly intelligent and principled (if misguided) man, truly wants to make a difference, he should consider immediately switching parties, thereby reducing the razor thin Republican majority in the House, currently 221-215, to 220-216.
He would not only be making a powerful statement, but he might also encourage other "sensible" Republicans to follow him across the aisle and bring the whole, criminal enterprise of a Presidency to a grinding halt.
Our times call for clear, decisive action if we are to survive as a democracy.
Well, that would kill off any ambitions he has about his future. I’m not sure it would be helpful to Dems but it would create a social media storm. The Dems would likely be happy to have his vote - from outside their circle. He and Rand Paul helped build the ‘Freedom Caucus’ and get Marjorie Taylor Greene her first win. The Caucus also helped Boebert.
Massie can’t be a spoiler (write in candidate or run under the label of another party) in the General Election for the same office. KY has a “sour grapes” law. However he has almost 2 weeks to decide if he wants to try mucking up the KY Senate election where DJT made an endorsement for Andy Barr. Perhaps make AIPAC and DJT aligned PACs spend another $32M and for revenge, split split off some of the GOP vote.
There is a lot of $$ going into DJT endorsements that won’t be available for other races. I read that, of course, this is to cow other GOP candidates & incumbents. But some in the party are worried. They want to spend in other places that need shoring up. Not KY where the GOP is a 7 pt favorite before any campaign begins & not candidates like in TX where Paxton is a problem.
Trump's egomaniacal revenge is giving him the satisfaction of seeing those who didn't exhibit complete fealty to him, get run out of town. But these pleasures may come at the cost of several Republican seats.
Massie for the ultimate win! He’s got what it takes to make it happen.
Why isn't this a full stop...I'm so confused.
Adopted in 1866, in the wake of the Civil War, the amendment notes that:
…neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States…all such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void.
“I’m not a real president but I play one on TV.”
News flash: Somehow, late today many Republicans refused to play ball with the regime. They nixed the $1 billion for the monstrosity ballroom and then decided that the slush fund for traitors and trump's immunity from IRS actions, were a bridge too far. Maybe the lesson of Massie and Cassidy is that no matter how low one might grovel, trump will still go after you, no matter what. Knowing the inevitable can be liberating. Maybe more and more of the Republican Congress will get into some good trouble and flip off trump as they retire, sick of sucking up, sick of the damage. I live in hope, for the sake of accountability and a better conscience.
This path is treacherous, full of sickening violations, but we will see our way through this.
I might be too rosy in my hopium but you are right, there will be a treacherous path ahead, made worse as he continues to sink lower and lower, crazier and crazier. Our job is to keep the faith!
What about his (trump) effort to be exempt from prosecution by the IRS for he and his whole family forever?
DEMOCRATIC STATES ARE FUNDING MADMAN TRUMP
These states refused to reassume their state sovereignty, and their responsibility to save our country is disgraceful.
The fact is that the state representatives attending the constitutional convention in 1778 represented well-established, successful states, each with its own government and legal system. Those states were independent, sovereign entities that maintained their distinct identities in the same manner as the countries of Europe, such as England, France, and Germany. Each of those states would never allow another state to usurp its sovereignty, and they did not want this new government to diminish their state's existence or power. Remember that these states were at war with England, and all the states knew they needed to finance the war, so they gathered to devise a way to support their failing army. These 13 state representatives did not trust or like each other, but their war effort needed funding, and this meeting was the only way to finance it. Each of the 13 states was a proud, independent, strong, and successful entity, and if not for the war, they would not have needed a federal government. This convention in 1778 was a war zone, with opposing ideas presented by the Federalists, who wanted a strong federal government, and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed it and claimed that
The Constitution amounted to a conspiracy against their liberties, not least because it lacked a bill of rights. Patrick Henry argued that the Constitution was an assault on the sovereignty of the states: “Have they proposed a compact between states? If they had, this would be a confederation; it is, otherwise, most clearly a consolidated government. Lepore, Jill. These Truths: A History of the United States
They did not come to this meeting intending to weaken their sovereignty or the independence of their states. They needed a way to finance their army through the taxation of citizens of their states. Their constant concern was that the states would abrogate their own power and their individual rights.
“The Constitution also specifically enumerated the powers of the federal government to ensure that the states retained their own powers.”
Murray, Melissa. The U.S. Constitution:
If they were so worried about losing their state's rights, how did we get to where we are today, with the federal government powerful and controlling, and the states hiding in the wings, frightened by this crazy madman in the White House?
I believe it was a gradual process over 250 years, in which the states abdicated power to the federal government. I think it started at this convention when they included “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes.” Why this approach? Why give the government this power? Why not have the states collect federal taxes and remit the funds to the federal government? Why concede this power? Another example of the states ceding their power is the establishment of the Supreme Court. Why establish a court above the state supreme courts? Each state had its own judicial system, so why agree to have a court above its supreme court? Why?
And what about the 16th Amendment: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration."
The Federal Government no longer had to govern well to be funded. It was now funded automatically. States, once financial intermediaries and negotiating agents for the People, lost their leverage. Instead of collecting revenue and allocating funds upward based on performance and need, States were reduced to compliance to receive their rightful share back. Washington gained a permanent revenue stream and the ability to fund. Lepore Jill, These truths
Why establish a new court with authority over its own state court decisions? Again, why agree to this phrase in the Constitution: “the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”
If you think about it, there was much debate about the phrase “we the people”. It was argued that the states were the soul of a confederation, and the preamble should read “we the states.”
Again, the Founding Fathers were worried.
“The framers recognized the need for a strong national legislature capable of governing effectively, but they were also deeply concerned that such a body could wield its power tyrannically, trampling the people's rights.” Murray, Melissa. The U.S. Constitution:
Consider the existence of the different countries in Europe and the establishment of the European Union and NATO, and how no country lost any of its sovereignty with these countries, and think about the crippling effect of our government, and the fact that the House of Representatives was established, where state representatives could decide on expeditions, and where this no longer exists.
So, democratic states, are you going to refuse to reestablish states' rights, your state's power, and take back control of how our tax money is spent by the states collecting the federal taxes for its citizens into an escrow account, and then have your state representatives in Congress review how the collected funds will be spent and decide if they want to release these funds for that expenditure, that is taking back control by the people.
The IRS has enjoyed collecting from workers and protecting wealthy. Maybe it is time to let us keep our work money and let the corporate and wealthy catch up.
Sounds like a good plan, Cynthia!
Looking forward to seeing what Massie does. He has the ammo from the Epstein files and the committee’s shadow hearings. The Democrats on the committee are just as fired up!
Bring it on! 💪🏽