It’s time to Break It Down!

The Republican National Convention owns TV this week. I suppose that might make for an interesting topic du jour. Then again, the week was preceded by what appeared to have been an assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life. To be sure, that will be a recurring theme during the Convention in Milwaukee.

Undoubtedly, that could be considered a compelling theme by some. In fact, the serendipitous nexus between the two events might be an even more interesting topic, based upon the way many people view the two events. Without question, that is a cynical outlook. Indeed, I usually endeavor to disabuse my friends and associates from co-signing conspiracy theories. In this case, I’m only going to say, occasionally, things don’t add up, and when they don’t, there’s usually a reason. You saw it; draw your own inferences.

Were it not for all the furor surrounding the events above, the angst associated with Joe Biden’s pending nomination and acceptance at next month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago would be every news outlet’s lead story. As someone who leans Blue, I’m delighted to see the onslaught against Biden’s mental acuity cede the spotlight, even if only temporarily, to the GOP’s policy differences with President Biden. I know the siege will resume next week, but I’ll take the week off.

I readily stipulate, I’m not a fan of the modern GOP (and make no mistake, the contemporary Republican Party is not the same as the party of Lincoln). I have not been watching the cavalcade of conservative Cognoscenti working feverishly to maximize their 3 to 4 minutes of airtime, lauding their Chosen One. I’m good with the CliffsNotes served up by the news & social media outlets, capturing and communicating all the reasons they favor their preferred old guy to the old guy that heads the Democratic Party, even if he hasn’t met the appropriately high standards of many Democrats.

Occasionally, I like to make it clear that I can find plenty of fault with both of our two major political parties. It is, however, important to set out from the start, that good, bad, or indifferent, we have, as a nation, created a two-party system. To wit, at the end of the day, we are faced with a binary choice. As such, despite a variety of third and other minor parties and candidates, in this and other presidential elections, the prevailing candidate will be either a Democrat or a Republican. Individuals certainly have the right to make other choices, but let’s be blunt. Voting for someone other than the Democrat or the Republican means one of several different things: The candidate for whom you vote will not be the winner; that’s a given. You may not like the idea of supporting a candidate you consider the lesser of evils, however, by doing otherwise, you chance propelling the greater of evils to victory. 

There are 111 days until Election Day; fewer, if you vote early. I urge you to register to vote, if you haven’t already done so…and of course, to exercise your duly earned right. Remember, in most states, you will need to present your valid Voter ID to vote. “The Republican National Convention is Up; the Democratic National Convention is on Deck!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

First of all, the question is moot, because only President Biden can decide. But let’s be real, it is the ponderous quandary bedeviling Democrats from sea to shing sea, not to mention a good many independents. Since the debate, nearly a couple of weeks ago, which I’ve already deemed an epic failure, the Democratic Party has been aflutter about how to proceed. Except for Joe, and Jill (…and Hunter, who let’s face it, shouldn’t be anywhere near this pending decision), most people who consider themselves Democrats in general, or Biden supporters in particular, have at least considered the possibility that Mr. Biden may not be amply suited to lead the battle that lies ahead for the presidency.

The Bidens have pretty much from the first moments after the debacle that was the debate, signaled their intention to stay the course. Since that fateful evening, a plethora of reports have surfaced suggesting that the President’s handlers have misled the public, and of course, the MAGA Camp has led the assertions the mainstream media, aka, MSM, conspired to downplay the extent to which Biden is physically compromised.

Presidential Election Years are major productions. In addition to municipal, county, and state legislature elections, all 435 House Members, and one-third of U.S. Senators are up for election. In other words, the balance of power in our federal government is up for grabs.

With that reality, it is not surprising that Democrats are fully engaged in a discourse that they see as impinging upon their future ability to maintain or regain the levers of power in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, in addition to holding on to the presidency. Already this week, the Congressional Black Caucus, the House Democrats, and the Senate Democrats have met with the President to do their group assessments of how to proceed. Just keep in mind the two points I raised in the first two paragraphs. First, Only President Biden can decide. Second, He has stated, loudly, forcefully, and consistently, he is staying in the race.

The campaign to advance past the debate has been painful to watch, if you’re a Democratic partisan, and a gleeful spectacle if you lean right, or are a straight up MAGA man or woman. The phrase I’ve become most fond of, as it relates to the conversation is, “You cannot unsee that debate.” And, if you watched it, I don’t believe you can.

Admittedly, I am someone who has questioned the rationality and critical thinking of the MAGAs. After all, to be MAGA means you have synthesized and accepted a great deal of information about Trump, and you still support him, including:

• Called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers (without noting there are exceptions)
• Insisted John McCain was not a hero
• Said he could shoot someone on 5^th Ave and not lose any votes
• Popularized the Birther movement
• Boasted of grabbing women by the vagina (though that’s not the term he used)
• Said of a female journalist, that she had blood coming out of her eyes
• Mocked a disabled journalist
• Had a $25 million settlement adjudged against for students at Trump University
• Said he trusted Putin over U.S. Intelligence agencies
• Attempted to interrupt the peaceful transition of power after the last Presidential Election
• Convicted of sexual assault
• Convicted of 34 felony counts in the State of New York
• Facing more than 50 other felony charges 

That’s quite the Baker’s dirty dozen…and there are too many other items to proffer an exhaustive list. Just know that all those begin with the day of the escalator ride, and doesn’t include such mind benders as reaching a settlement with the Justice Department in a Housing Discrimination case alleging his apartments didn’t rent to Black tenants, or of purchasing full-page ads calling for bringing back the Death Penalty for the Central Park 5. Ironically, not only did the defendants have their convictions overturned due to DNA evidence, but someone else actually admitted committing the crime. Fortunately, Trump’s calls went unheeded. Not surprisingly, he has declined to apologize. 

That’s correlative of the MAGA mentality. Faced with clear and present evidence, and proceeding onward, as though it either doesn’t exist, or it just doesn’t matter. It is in that light that I liken those who refuse to even consider calling upon Biden to step aside, as MAGA-like. If you don’t even think the conversation warrants being had…that’s stone-cold blind!

Let me be clear, I’m not anti-Biden. In fact, when I consider the alternatives, if it comes down to those two, because not voting, or voting for a 3^rd Party candidate are not options for me, Biden will get my vote. He not only doesn’t have the litany of anti-social behaviors that Trump does, but he’s also a decent citizen, trying to make the world, and our country a better place. 

None of that means his staying in the race isn’t a risky strategy. Current polling favors Trump. But ditching Biden, means starting over. Even an abbreviated system for selecting a replacement will be hampered by dysfunction. The machismo and ego stake would never accommodate elevating the Vice President, without some kind of outsized reaction from those opposed to her. Moreover, if she were leapt over, or sidelined, chaos would almost certainly ensue. 

When Team Biden insisted on having an early debate, this was not what they anticipated. But it’s what they got. Now, we are all left to pick up the pieces, and keep it moving. “Point – Counter Point: Should He Stay or Should He Go?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

There’s not much left to say. President Biden had one job. Get through the debate without imploding. Test failed. His opponent was putrid, in his own right. Fact checkers, a term Republicans have come to hate, ostensibly, because they refuse to be constrained by facts, determined that in the 90-minute contest, Mr. Trump told more than 30 lies, or at a rate greater than one every 3 minutes.

It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because Mr. Biden was unable to effectively prosecute the case of his serial falsifying co-debater. In stark terms, that’s political malpractice.

If the abysmal debate were not enough to put Democrats on their heels, The Supreme Court (SCOTUS), in its final read out of case findings issued a determination that Presidents (in a ruling narrowly crafted to protect Donald Trump) have immunity for some conduct as president, and that Trump is covered by this immunity for part of his conduct in his federal election interference case, but possibly not for other actions.

The tough decisions for Biden and the Party don’t end there. In fact, while conquering his Irish stubbornness represents a major challenge, determining who would ascend to the position of presumptive nominee is certain to be at least as difficult to tie down. Based on Monday’s SCOTUS decision, one thing he shouldn’t have to worry about, If Democrats lose the presidency, is being prosecuted by a new Trump administration; something Trump intimated he had every right to do.

The justices voted 6-3, along ideological lines, to reject Trump’s broad claim of total immunity, but did not dismiss the case, because they held, some actions closely related to his core duties as president, and as such, are off limits to prosecutors. Chief Justice Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the majority, said the case would be sent back to lower courts to determine what conduct Trump can be prosecuted for. Last week in this space, I wrote about SCOTUS running out the clock. It’s clearer than ever, the clock is ticking.

While Team Biden would ideally be focused on what the SCOTUS ruling means, both to the country, and to their re-election efforts, they have much more pressing concerns. In the near term, they must decide whether Mr. Biden will endeavor to ride out the storm of controversy generated by his lackluster debate performance, or to accede to the calls of an increasing number of Democratic partisans and donors, and from most Americans to step aside. So far, less than a handful of Democratic members of Congress have directly called for Biden to relinquish his hold on the nomination. This doesn’t mean the conversation has been avoided, or even muted. However, party mavens have largely insisted, the decision is Biden’s to make.

In a perfect world, Vice President Harris would likely be slotted as next in line. That is literally one of the implicit roles of the Veep. Of course, no one ever seriously suggested that politics makes for the stuff of perfect worlds. In fact, the notion of Kamala Harris as President is a polarizing subject. On September 27, 2023, I wrote what may have been my shortest blog post ever. It was so short I’ll place it here in its entirety:

“Political Jeopardy: Kamala Harris for $1000 Alex

What is the real reason so many people are concerned about Joe Biden’s age? Fear of a second Black/First Female President; yeah, I said it! “Political Jeopardy: Kamala Harris for $1,000, Alex!””

Suffice it to say, Trump and the GOP are reveling at their own streak of good fortune, and the Dem’s concurrent turmoil. Who could blame them.

For now, President Biden is battling to maintain his placement at the top of the proverbial political food chain. He has made several low-key appearances, has spoken with donors and advisors, and he has a TV interview scheduled for airing Sunday. Will it be enough? 

Time will tell…but not too much time. “The Debate was an Epic Fail; Now What?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Last year at this time I wrote a post regarding the Supreme Court of the United States, familiarly known as SCOTUS. Given the political calendar, and the current stakes, it seems like an apt time to revisit the topic. The Justices will likely complete their current term in the next few days. There are several cases still pending, but none more highly anticipated than Trump v. United States. This matter will see the Court deciding whether, and if so to what extent, a former president enjoys presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.

SCOTUS accepted this case February 28, 2024. It was subsequently argued April 25, 2024. A decision on the case and the subsequent citation are pending. As June moves toward a close, marking the typical end of the session, there have already been intimations that completing the disposition of this year’s cases may bleed into July. Still, with the year’s first Presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump, presumptive nominees of their respective parties, set for tomorrow night on CNN, there is more than a little expectation that the read out for the case may occur today, or tomorrow.

That is not to suggest that SCOTUS will be influenced by the exigencies of the political calendar. Rather, it is a recognition that “We the people,” would like to know the answers to the pertinent questions surrounding Mr. Trump’s immunity, including, Is he immune, and if so, to what degree, and under what circumstances.

Regardless of whether the Court announces it’s ruling this week, it is fair to say, intentional or not, it has already gifted Trump with at least one of the desires of his heart; for all practical purposes, delaying the disposition of the case prior to the November 5^th Election. In an election that is viewed as tight, and one that Donald Trump could conceivably win, the so-called experts have projected that a President Trump would direct his Attorney General to squash the case, as well as any other federal cases against him. In Florida, Judge Cannon, by virtue of the way she has handled the classified documents case, has already ensured that that case cannot happen before the Election. Trump still has pending appeals in the New York falsifying documents case. Then, there is the specter of both an appeal, and the possible removal of DA Fani Willis from the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act case, both which must take place before the case proceeds to trial.

In conclusion, the judicial stars have aligned to, in all practical purposes, derail any further pre-Election trials for Donal Trump. That’s huge, regardless of whether he wins. However, if he happens to win, He has the option to make the three federal cases disappear, while if another prosecutor is selected in Georgia, there are questions about whether the case would even be pursued. It absolutely may not. “SCOTUS on Trump: Anatomy of Running Out the Clock!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Celebrate Juneteenth!

Donald Trump’s former top strategist, Steve Bannon recently framed the 2024 Election in warlike terms. Trump, Stephen Miller, and Bannon have a penchant for infusing almost any topic with the embers of incendiary speech. The kind of language conservatives consider threatening when directed toward them, but free speech, when they employ it toward others. 

This past weekend, Bannon met with the conservative group, Turning Point, in Detroit. Michigan is a battleground state and one that is expected to be pivotal in determining the outcome of this year’s presidential election. 

Bannon served briefly in Trump’s White House. He was fired in August 2017, part of a major reorganization under then-chief of staff John Kelly, who was brought in to control a chaotic atmosphere. In the years since, Bannon has continued to advocate for Trump; meanwhile, Kelly, a retired general, has sounded the alarm about Trump’s possible reelection.

The stakes of this election must be extremely high from Bannon’s perspective. Already pardoned by Trump for his role in a scheme to allegedly defraud donors of contributions intended to help build a border wall, Bannon was subsequently convicted by a jury in 2022 of the rarely prosecuted crime of contempt of Congress. Bannon refused to cooperate with subpoenas from the committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection when Democrats controlled Congress. After delays, Bannon must begin serving a four-month prison sentence starting next month.

“Are you prepared to fight? Are you prepared to give it all?” he asked of young activists, telling them they would have to follow in the footsteps of “the team around President Trump” – who he views as Roger Stone, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Alex Jones, people whose fidelity to conspiracy theories has gotten them into legal and financial trouble, but who in Bannon’s mind are political freedom fighters.

“If they steal this election – and they fully intend to steal it – this republic ends,” Bannon said, before going on a riff about how top Department of Justice officials in President Joe Biden’s administration, like Attorney General Merrick Garland, should be prosecuted; the FBI should be completely deconstructed; and anyone convicted in connection to the storming of the Capitol building would be set free.

Comparing the presidential campaign to the D-Day invasion, Bannon encouraged a cheering crowd at the Turning Point Action convention in Detroit to see themselves as filling the positions of fallen soldiers in an assault.

“Are we at war?” he asked the crowd. “Is this a political war to the knife?”

“War to the knife” – Bannon recently used it in an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. A Google search yielded a 1998 book by that name about the Bleeding Kansas skirmishes in the years before the Civil War when pro- and anti-slavery settlers flooded into Kansas and feuded over whether Kansas should enter the union as a free or slave state.

The book, according to its description, attributes the term to the Atchison Squatter Sovereign, which the Library of Congress describes as a pro-slavery newspaper of the era. It’s not clear where Bannon got the term.

“Are you prepared to leave it all on the battlefield in 2024?” he asked of Turning Point activists. “It’s very simple: victory or death!”

He added, “We are going to purge DOJ. We are going to take apart the FBI. The FBI, the American Gestapo … there’s not going to be an FBI.”

While Trump has only said he would be justified in going after political opponents, Bannon is committed to targeting anyone he views as having opposed Trump.

“We are going to get every single receipt, and to the fullest extension of the law, you are going to be investigated, prosecuted and incarcerated,” he said.

Bannon is not alone. The conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, for instance, has written up its Project 2025 road map to remaking the civil service by firing large numbers of career servants and replacing them with more political voices. For a good, in-depth look at what Project 2025 would and would not do, listen this recent “In the Room” podcast from Peter Bergen, CNN’s national security analyst. Bergen talks to one of the authors of the State Department portion of Project 2025. ““War to the Knife”: Victory or Death!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/politics/bannon-trump-election-what-matters/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

Two weeks ago, a New York jury found Donald guilty of 34 felony counts. TrumpWorld immediately flooded the zone across all media lanes, claiming the verdict was a result of a Democratic scheme to weaponize government at the behest of Joe Biden, head of the (in their words) Biden Crime Family, all a form of Democratic fueled judicial overreach.

Yesterday, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty of 3 felony counts:

• Lying to a federally licensed gun dealer
• Making a false claim on the application
• Illegally having a gun for 11 days

Instead of leaning in on the obvious, and retracting their debunked (by Biden’s conviction) claims, Team Trump altered the tenor of their claims, asserting:

“This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia, and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Criminal Empire is coming to an end on November 5^th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit.”

Trump was convicted in his home state of New York. Biden was convicted in his home state of Delaware. Both verdicts were reached by respective juries, based on the evidence presented by prosecutors. But let’s be perfectly clear, were there such a thing as Democratic weaponized government, a Biden Crime Family, and/or Democratic fueled judicial overreach, there would never-ever have been a Hunter Biden trial, and absolutely, positively, no Biden conviction. We can say, without reservation, “Weaponization of Government: Fake News on Steroids!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-campaign-republicans-seize-hunter-biden-verdict-ramp/story?id=111021376

It’s time to Break It Down!

The Republican Party has raised the profile of conspiracy theories to infinity. Egged on by Donald Trump, the Party leaders…and followers breathlessly cry government weaponization, Biden Crime Family, and Democratic Judicial overreach. If one is to take these GOP assertions seriously, Joe Biden, whom they alternately accuse of raging senility, and rampantly corrupt thuggery, is the fiendish mastermind behind Trump’s 88 (formerly 91) felony charges, spread over New York, Washington, DC, Georgia and Florida. That’s in addition to the $5 million civil judgments for sexual assault and defamation last year. Last week, he was found guilty of 34 counts in the so-called hush money trial in New York.

Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick Garland faced questions while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. As he answered the frequently intense and always accusatory questions from GOP House Members, Garland defended the reputation, standards, and methods of the 115,000 Justice Department employees. He dismissed out of hand the allegations that the Department was in any way enmeshed in some conspiracy against Donald Trump.

That claim seems to represent the current litmus test for Republicans in general, and especially and in particular, for GOP candidates for anything. During the final days of Trump’s hush money trial, a series of Republicans, most of whom are presumed to be vying to be Mr. Trump’s #2, er a, I mean, Vice President. Those men and women, as well as a host of other Republicans have been taking advantage of every opportunity to stand in front of a mic and assail the plight of the American justice system. Like their Svengali, several of them have suggested the country (America) has become a Fascist state. Moreover, when the question, “Is America a Fascist Country” was put to them, respondents either cosigned the assertion, or refused to answer it, real profiles in courage.

AG Garland noted that the Justice Department follows the facts and the law, not a particular political party. To buttress his position, he referenced New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez’s bribery trial, Texas Representative Henry Cuellar’s bribery indictment, and Biden Family scion Hunter’s gun trial, all Democrats.

Meanwhile though Garland didn’t mention it, of course, Trump has been charged with and convicted of dozens of felonies, with dozens more pending. Moreover, the American Justice System has actively intervened to delay Trump’s Day in court in 3 of his four trials. A couple of Supreme Court Justices appear to have conflicts of interests yet have indicated they have no plans to recuse themselves from the Trump immunity case. In Florida, a Trump appointed Judge has delayed the classified documents case. In Georgia, a Republican Judge ruled that either the DA, or her Chief Assistant had to step down, and further allowed Trump to appeal to have DA Fani Willis removed from the case. Naturally, you won’t hear Republicans complaining about any of those American judicial actions.

And, oh, by the way, Alvin Bragg, the DA who brought the hush money trial did so, only after a Grand Jury, comprised of regular New Yorkers, validated the charges. Moreover, the 12 jurors and 6 alternates were deemed to be citizens/peers of Mr. Trump. Finally, Mr. Bragg was duly elected, and not beholding to AG Garland, or President Biden. “Projection: Trumpublicans’ Tool of Choice!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Please enjoy a reprised edition of “Break It Down!” This post was originally published May 30, 2012 at: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com, reposted May 27, 2015 at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com as “Memorial Day: What Your Teacher Never Told You!,“again on May 31, 2017, May 29, 2019, on May , 2020, and last on May 31, 2023.

OK, so Memorial Day was earlier this week. You may be familiar with my holiday week philosophy, which is: make it easy on the readers, who are always otherwise engaged, no matter the holiday. Of course, in the process, I am also giving myself a break. That makes for a natural win-win scenario.

With that overarching thought in mind, I will endeavor to apply three elementary rules of communication:

• Utilize the KISS Principle, AKA, Keep It Short & Simple (also Keep It Simple Stupid).
• Convey new or “not widely circulated” information.
• Always remember to emphasize points 1 and 2 above.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor America’s fallen soldiers. It originated after the Civil War. Falling between Easter and Independence Day, it is often equated with a late spring break, or a pre-summer respite.

The weekend typically includes a cornucopia of sports.  For example this week included the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, the NBA Playoffs, College Men’s Baseball playoffs, and College Women’s Softball competition, among others.

Historically, there have been a plethora of activities thrown into the mix. As a result, the holiday is sometimes almost lost in the shuffle. That was less problematic this year. But wait; Memorial Day has a special cultural significance. In fact, it is because of that nexus we should pay special homage to this late spring holiday.

The first well-known observance of a Memorial Day type was held May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina. Over 250 Union soldiers that had been prisoners of war, died in Charleston, and were quickly buried in makeshift graves. A group of blacks, mostly freedmen, organized the observance and led cleanup and landscaping of the burial site.

Most of the nearly 10,000 people who attended were freedmen and their families. Of that number, 3.000 were children, newly enrolled in freedman’s schools. Mutual aid societies, black ministers, and white Northern missionaries were also in attendance.

David W. Blight, Professor of American History at Yale University, and Director of the school’s Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, & Abolition, described the day this way:

“This was the first Memorial Day. African Americans invented Memorial Day in Charleston, South Carolina. What you have there is black Americans recently freed from slavery announcing to the world with their flowers, their feet, and their songs what the War had been about. What they basically were creating was the Independence Day of a Second American Revolution.”

Professor Blight conceded there is no evidence that the Charleston event led directly to the establishment of Memorial Day across the country.  But the record is clear they formed the earliest truly large-scale event, complete with media coverage.  Their effort was the prototype, if not the catalyst.

Having said that, I believe I honored the rules established above for this post:

• Told this story in a direct and uncomplicated fashion
• Presented information I am confident most readers did not know
• Recognized points 1 and 2, were accomplished and closed the post

Enjoy your bonus time, and be sure to reflect on “Memorial Day: What Your Teachers Never Told You (Edition VII)!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Blight

http://www.davidwblight.com/

http://www.snopes.com/military/memorialday.asp

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/25/1301862/-Memorial-Day-Has-African-American-Roots-First-One-Was-Conducted-By-Former-Slaves#

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/KISS_principle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://www.yale.edu/glc/index.htm

http://www.civilwarhome.com/freedmen.htm

It’s time to Break It Down! 

Greene offered no apologies, and Crockett has no regrets. Considering the current hyper-partisan political divide, their exchange sounds like one that could happen on any day in the U.S. House of Representatives. On last Thursday, the possible became the “that just happened.” During a hearing, ostensibly to facilitate Republicans finding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt, the proceedings ran off the rails.

Congress is one of those institutions that has a host of quaint, and seldom (in other places) used rules. One of those rules is no personal attacks on other members during debate. So, when Rep. Greene attacked Rep. Crockett, with a fake eyelashes comment…it was on.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said Sunday that she does not regret insulting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) after the two lawmakers clashed during a House committee hearing last week.

“I don’t, because here’s the thing. I signed up to be a member of Congress. That didn’t mean that I was supposed to walk into a position where I’m going to walk in and be disrespected,” she told co-host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if she regrets her comments during the House hearing.

Crockett also argued, to some skepticism from Tapper, that she had not directly insulted Greene with a remark about a “bleach blonde bad built butch body” because she was asking a question about the rules and did not mention the Georgian lawmaker. 

Crockett and Greene were caught in a heated exchange Thursday night after Greene asked Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee whether any of them are employing the daughter of the judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money case.

“Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland,” Crockett responded at the time, referring to the U.S. attorney general. “Do you know what we’re here for?”

“I don’t think you know what you’re here for,” Greene responded. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”

Crockett later asked if a hypothetical comment would violate congressional protocol after there was a debate over whether to strike Greene’s words.

“I’m just curious, just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said about Chair James Comer’s (R-Ky.) ruling on the comments. “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”

Crockett on Sunday explained that she was asking for a “clarification on the ruling.” She also defended herself for now selling merchandise about her comments to Greene.

She wrote on the social platform X that she will be launching a “Crockett Clapback Collection.” She also posted a photo of a T-shirt that reads, “Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Body,” which she said will be available first.

I have repeatedly advised, speaking to no one in particular, that folks need to stop coming for Black women. It’ bad juju. Moreover, it almost never ends well. Greene may have burnished her rep as a bully. But, as the above narrative suggests, Jasmine Crockett is bullyproof.  She’s not only fearless, but she’s smart.

In a fair world, Committee Chair James Comer would have found that Greene broke protocol and tossed her from the meeting. However, given the GOP’s sparse majority, both in the House, and on the committee, odds are Comer opted not to dismiss Greene, because he might have lost the GOP majority, and therefore been unable to proceed with the Committee’s business. Crockett then responded by obliquely posing a query to the chair, that quickly became a viral clapback, but at the same time, avoided directly addressing Greene. And the beat goes on. “Jasmine Crockett Vs. Marjorie Taylor Greene: Last Week’s Political Cage Match!”

I’m done; holla back.

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4672873-crockett-says-she-doesnt-regret-comments-hitting-back-at-greene/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Donald Trump spent four years in the Oval Office. While there, folks charged with the awesome responsibility of tracking his veracity determined that he made over 30K misleading, false, or untrue statements. In the final year, politeness was frequently abandoned, and the term increasingly used to describe his utterances was lie. 

Michael Cohen spent several years as Donald Trump’s lawyer. His title was eventually elevated to the self-proclaimed term, fixer. Trump gotta problem? Call Mikey! And we all know, because Trump told us repeatedly, he only hired the best people. Am I right?

Now that Trump’s, take your pick, hush money/falsification of records trial is underway, we are frequently reminded that Cohen is a liar; even did time for it. I get it. Cohen is a guy whom a lot of people deem despicable. He bullied, intimidated, and yes, lied his way, as he endeavored to be all things to “Mr. Trump.” He even said, on occasion, he’d take a bullet for The Boss.

Cohen never had to step up and take that hot steel for Trump. But his perspective changed when, among other things, he would up doing a bid in prison for felony charges tied to hush money deals, lying to Congress, and tax evasion. When pressed this week, Cohen admitted, he lied, but insisted he did so to protect Mr. Trump. Naturally, The Boss has said he’s innocent, and has done nothing wrong. 

Cohen is considered the pivotal witness for the prosecution, which rested its case yesterday, and indicated Cohen was its last witness. The defense began its cross-examination at the end of the day, and will resume on Thursday, after Wednesday’s regularly scheduled off-day. The defense aggressively attacked Cohen’s character, and his propensity to take to Tik Tok to assail Trump. Mostly, the defense emphasized Cohen’s pattern and frequency of lying. Admittedly, our system of jurisprudence is predicated on the notion that an individual is innocent until proven guilty, Moreover, Trump, as the defendant, doesn’t have to take the stand. That is his right. Meanwhile, just between us, it has been firmly established Cohen is no paragon of virtue…but then, neither is Trump. “The Art of the Lie: Cohen vs. Trump!”

I’m done; holla back.

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below: