Thank God for President Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE, and all who are working so hard, to restore our broken down Country! Just more lefties losing it! They can't get a grasp on real life! So sucked into the evilness of the Democrats. There are a few that are finally able to see thru the demonic flames, and swimming their way up and out. Congratulations to them! We'll be there to lend you our hands and help pull you out of all that stinkin, rotten, evil, thieving corruption the lefties have built in the deepest depths of Hell! They have taken and taken and taken all they could from us, but... They NEVER broke us!! That's why their so mad!!! Republicans are STRONG and UNBREAKABLE! They tried to kill President Trump a few times, and failed!! God put him here to dig us out of what you buried us in. You will NEVER break us!! GO President Trump! Go Elon Musk! Go DOGE! Go Tom!! All of you, don't stop!! But... Tom, please come back to California, the migrants are now coming by BOAT FULLS!! Mexican, Russians, Chinese, etc ..!! Please come get them before they get us!! I'm not paying any more taxes so NewScum can give OUR money to THEM!! NO!!! They can throw this elderly old lady, who is in a wheelchair with so many health issues, in jail, but I'm done!!! NewScum wants them here, let HIM give them HIS money, and let THEM loose on HIS family!! He also started his dumb assed podcast, ON OUR TAX DOLLAR!!! He's working his show and COLLECTING A PAYCHECK, BUT NOT HELPING CALIFORNIA ANY LONGER!!! So, GET HIM OUT!! You want THAT to be your president??? He is the center of this evilness!!! I'm done, but not....
This is a shock to the liberals nervous system. Trump as president. Musk, the once golden boy now is a Nazi, a Cabinet in inhabited and run by sane smart people. The comfy cozy blanket of corruption and business as usual is being pulled away. Doing nothing is easy, making change requires some effort. This country is in dire need of exactly the kind of adjustment Trump is doing. You can freak out all you want but in the end every one will benefit. There was an old saying, "Take a lude, man."
Don't advocate taking drugs to squelch free thought. There is plenty to appropriately criticize about Musk and Trump. As I write, Trump is having freedom fighters and anti war activists arrested.
Great article Henry. Jimmy Carter's net worth was about $10M, "peanuts" compared to others. Jimmy's existence was probably before the Dems tapped into USAID for all of their "lunch money." There is no doubt in our minds that we've been swindled, primarily by our corrupt Dem politicians. You know, I've always thought these high-level Dems looked crooked on the surface. And now digging into their lives, we know they are criminals. We should go by our instincts in the future before we vote for these scumbags. I believe Federal thieves should be tried for treason. Consider the military hardware money stolen that should've been used to protect the country. For example, consider the mothballing or target-practice sinking of Spruance-class destroyer ships, first one was commissioned (the DD963) in 1975, were too soon destroyed. All of the thirty-one Spruance-class destroyer ships built were gone by 2005. Too expensive to maintain, you say. We have a floundering Navy with China and Russia essentially combined to compete with us on the open seas. Did the Washington, DC thugs steal our military money which required the demolition of our military? Treason.
The amazing thing to me is how long this has been going on without question. We've known for a long-time politicians became wealthy in office, but it was never questioned to a criterion for an investigation. Did we put that much trust in politicians, thinking they would not be corrupt? Maybe humans are pushovers.
RN: Be sure to view the Tucker Carlson recent interview with one of the founders of "Invest like a Politician" - a group that tracks elected representatives disclosed investment decisions and their investment gain track records - this is public knowledge but this group finally made it accessible and allows anyone in the public to also "invest like a politician". The list of the dirtiest (aka most successful) dozen has some surprises.
Another example of invalid comparisons, false equivalencies and flawed reasoning. Comparing the challenges of laid-off forestry service employees with those of a retired President? Come now. That’s like saying you’ll solve the egg price problem by teaching Blue Whales to lay eggs. You have conveniently forgotten that Elon does benefit from government contracts. In fact, somehow a multibillion dollar one was very recently moved from Verizon to one of his companies. He hasn’t found fraud — although he’s treated people doing their job like … like his employees. He has found silly ways money is being spent and he’s found some things that he, and the administration, dislike for philosophical reasons. Those are all fair targets. But you can’t believe what he says: in one example, he claimed an $8B savings, BUT, this was revised later to $8M. In short he was off by 100,000%. And, as for reducing the deficit? I assume you’re talking about the deficit that was last eliminated by a Democrat? The one that ballooned under Trump? The one that Republicans care about only when the Democrats are in power? Is that one we’re talking about. The deficit that the GOP plans to reduce by reducing income? And finally, The worst President was replaced, — but it wasn’t Jimmy Carter that was replaced, it was James Buchanan. And it wasn’t Joe Biden who replaced him, it was Donald Trump. Now, depending on how you count, Trump could actually hold both last and next to last place.
It’s amazing that people are still maniacally focused on the Democrats while The Convicted Felon and his mob are
Blowing up Democracy and aligning the country with brutal dictators who murder their own people! It seems to be an obsession. The democrats are irrelevant to what’s happening as a very tiny man conducts his revenge tour. His animus is staggering….like a spoiled 6 yr old that can’t get his way. Guess you’re okay with all that. ( and for the record, I’m all for govt reform but that’s not what’s happening) I think it’s evil.
That's the whole point here Elaine. It's a place to vent your Democratic derangement syndrome. DNS. It's rarely about how great the tariffs are, or why strengthening relationships with dictators like Putin and Xi helps the US out. Or why we need to take over Greenland.
I'm in that position where I detest the Leftist politics of the Democrats and have been "on to" Trump since the 1990's and cannot reconcile with his comments mocking his supporters (his comment about being able to shoot people and still get votes) his derision of American prisoners of war, his comment about being ok with torturing prisoners captured by American troops (note: that throws American POW'S under the bus as our negotiating power goes out the door) and of course his non-apology for his comments about grabbing women by the genitals "I'm sorry if anyone got offended" (if that's not the exact quote, it's very close). But at least he's a man of Christian integrity (has he ever once shown remorse?) and is patriotic. (So what if he doesn't care about American soldiers being captured?)
I feel like a kid caught in a custody battle between two insane parents where I just want to leave home and live with my grandparents. I guess this is the best the two major parties can do.
On a side note, adminstration after administration the national debt keeps climbing and homelessness keeps getting worse, but hey, at least we're making America great again and building back better.
Good one Henry. It's truly remarkable Jimmy Carter, as a former federal employee, did not enrich himself as did Clinton, Obama, and Biden. What were the actions COB took to enrich themselves?
Why is one's fair share a percentage of what one makes? How does that make any sense? Like our lives are owned by the government so they get a piece of whatever we make? A silent partner who benefits when we do? How is that fair? Just? Why isn't our obligation to pay for the Federal government the same as everyone else's? A fair share is an equal amount of the Federal governments spending. Every adult pays the same. Imagine how fast the Federal government will change if the poor are required to pay their equal share. We might see a whole lot more people voting, and they won't be voting for more government.
And talk about incentives. If people get to keep everything they make after paying their Federal tax bill won't people want to make their contributions to our economy more valuable? Talk about unleashing and incentivizing people!
Sure, you are going to say "but what about..." So, for the poor, there will be nothing stopping philanthropist from paying the poor's equal share for them. Charities. But there will be no deductions - for anything. But philanthropists will have tremendous additional resources to do good with. Major difference is they will be doing it voluntarily without personal benefit. Don't think they will? Just look at all the foundations the richest people in the US have set up.
You claimed Carter and Biden were the two worst presidents. I’m curious about your source.
Just to set the record straight. According to the Siena College Research Institute Jimmy Carter was rated 24th, Joe Biden 19th. Donald Trump was rated 43rd out of 45. My only complaint: I thought Trump should have been rated lower.
Joe Biden rated 19th? ? Are you out of your ever-loving mind? ? ? He was absolutely, positively THE worst excuse for a president _EVER_ That jerk almost sank the ship. Thank the Lord Trumpy is back in business taking names and kicking ass!
MC: LBJ was the worst in the past century. Trump will be ranked as greatest in this century. Siena College has zero credibility as do most "polls" today. But both sides use them to make cheap points. Hard to imagine Biden escaping the last rung by any criteria today.
Just as disturbing is now finding out an automatic signature pen was used for most Biden edicts. Which means we still have no idea who was calling the shots for four years, including the flurry or signed orders and pardons during his 11th hour. It is not to hard now to think son Hunter wrote up those bizarre long-standing and preemptive pardons for himself, family members and friends, and why Mom Mom was left out of the preemptive pardon loop.
We should have listened better on Biden Day One, when he asked on live TV "what am I signing?" as Day One Executive orders were shoved under his nose. But from that day forward, is now anyone's guess who in fact was running this show, and using the automatic Biden signature pen to make them official acts of the Office of the President.
One thing to sign ceremonial declarations and birthday cards to centenarians using the auto-pen, but actual Executive Orders and pardons? That is downright scary.
The worker with the no show job, or well paid and benefitted job with few real duties must have who is crying foul may harbor the following rational:
They perhaps do not connect the fact that another few to several Americans work, get quite a bit of their earnings taken via tax to provide the salary finds for the mentioned worker. If that squares with them it’s illuminating in itself.
Hopefully more likely they see their pay and benefits as a part of a revenue river and do not wonder it source.
Either way it shows thought/behavior patterns that are not attractive.
I would like to point out that if it takes very excessive amounts of borrowing to make the USA work, then is it not a failed idea? The US is trying to do too much. It needs so lose the big ego and stop trying to be everything to everyone.
CMc: America works. Excessive partisan vote-buying using tax dollars does not. Time finally for a reckoning now that younger voters realize the long-term price this relatively recent political vote-buying corruption is landing squarely in their own laps.
The party most associated with "tax and spend" is finally getting its long overdue reckoning. This is a post WWII and post-1962 government employee unionization phenomenon. The clock needs to be turned back, put everything on pause and then - save the good while culling the bad.
Time and patience is required. Organized obstruction only causes the clock to be reset, while exposing the craven greed by those who are opposing this necessary exercise required for the future viability of this entire country coming up on its 250th birthday. The very fact we are finally doing this long overdue government attic clearing right now, after decades of kicking this can down the road for partisan political gain, is proof "America works".
Seems like all famous folks benefit from book deals and speaking engagements.
Reagan earned millions from public speaking and memoir sales after his presidency. His net worth grew from approximately $10 million to $15 million by the time of his death in 2004.
George W. Bush: Bush doubled his net worth from $20 million to $40 million after leaving office. This was largely due to the success of his memoir and speaking engagements, reportedly earning six-figure fees per appearance.
Even tricky Dick managed to grow his wealth. Reports show that despite being booted, his net worth increased from $2 million to $15 million by the time of his death in 1994.
MC: One could assume Trump is also doing a lot of work on the golf course with his golfing partners, since it is one of the few places he can hope to be away from the deep state palace spies.
Run a list of his golfing partners into your charge of laziness and frivolity, and let's see if they are purely for pleasure, relaxation or what many others use golf games to accomplish - frank business and policy conversations while also judging the "mettle of the man".
I think most know Trump works 24/7, so trying to "shock us" he also plays golf will not get many takers here. Just play that one through.
Not sure that MC mentioned anything about Trump spending millions playing golf (he didn’t), but in the clip shown below, Trump goes on record stating he “won’t have time” to golf.
PS Glad to see this man ,who does need exercise, gets it. Is your point, that Slate claims Trump lied to you. And this hearsay rankles you somehow?Hang in there because it will l be a rough next few months, if you are letting Slate keep a Trump scorecard for you.
Onwards. This government house cleaning was absolutely necessary, and some crockery will get broken in the process for sure. Can you handle it?
I don't care if Peter can handle it - I'm more concerned about the Nation can handle it. We'll see, though. Waste needs to be eliminated. My guess is that Trump is too weak and will pull back every time the stock market tanks. The graph of the market seems like the only thing that kind of keeps him on track.
TJ: My animal spirits of the market place tell me it is the organized TDS Democrat lawfare obstruction and really negative Democrat appointed judges that is tanking the markets and impeding the promise of a new Trump administration.
Anticipation of what Trump could accomplish is why the markets soared. This stated back in 2022, when the GOP took back the House. Now the reality of the Democrats organized astro-turf resistance, with the deep state swamp digging in with every tool they still have in their hot little hands has put a temporary pall on the prior pro-Trump, pro-GOP market enthusiasm.
Once the Democrat and RINO last gasp obstructionist hurdles are surmounted, and the current negative Democrat blame-Trump narratives get quashed, the animal spirits will be back on track again. Just not right this transitory instant - this Democrat and deep state obstruction was anticipated.
It will take more slogging to get past and around it. Because we must. We came too close to losing it all.
No question the unelected Democrat deep state and their friendly judges have dug in, but that was exactly the point and why voters across the country demanded change in 2024. It will be morning in America again, and the swamp is getting cleared, step by step. Which is the good way to do this - one step at a time. It is happening. Two steps forward, one step backwards.
It took until August of Reagan's first term before he fired all the air traffic controllers after all. Times of major change are always bumpy at first. Proving if nothing else Trump is "not a dictator", just a human being trying to color within the lines after all but also pushing into new frontiers to get out ofthe fetid swamp he inherited.
"Trump and Musk aren’t doing it for any personal gain." Henry, how big was the smirk on your face when you wrote that? Or maybe you're simply not aware of Trump and Musk's nascent "crypto strategic reserve" which involves using U.S. tax revenues to purchase billions, if not trillions, of dollars of cryptocurrency, which even Trump called (crypto) a scam just a few years ago.
So why are they so passionately pushing for this crypto strategic reserve? Might it have something to do with the cryptocurrency industry having poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign? Or might it be a surreptitious way for favor-seeking entities to funnel money to pliant politicians? Or is it simply because both Trump and Musk happen to have crypto currencies of their own (World Liberty Financial and Doge respectively) they are trying to hock which may well be included in this federal reserve? "Strategic"?--you bet'cha!
Thank you Henry! Great summary. We need a side-by-side reminder of what prominent political hacks have been touting all these decades compared to the truth. Their lies, their smears their not-in-my-back-yard hypocracy, Maxine Watters, Martha's Vinyard residents, AOC, Clintons, Obamas, etc, etc, etc. Sad thing is too many adults raised in the past decades of the easy times we have all enjoyed since WW2, really believe money grows on trees.
Great beginning creating a task force on transparency for our own corrupt or inept elected officials in Santa Barbara County! As a native Californian, I am SO SICK of the cronyism and nepotism I've watched since the 70s. Shameful, money doesn't grow on trees (global warming and drought 😅) ignorant liberals. And when our nation finally implodes they will stand agog, mouths dropped open, totally clueless why every store and small business are gone forever. Or why forced gender surgeries will bring about many innocent children loosing their ability to continue on in life. Again, Apocalypse Now, "Oh, the horror of it all." Just Derranged Syndrome! Plain and simple. Spock warned, The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." And all Joni Mitchell had to worry about was a big parking lot.
You say that the right doesn’t go around bragging about their wealth, you might’ve forgotten that trump was constantly saying, “I’m rich,I’m very rich” plus his character is crass, crude, misogynistic, homophobic, heartless, I could go on, but I shouldn’t have to remind you or anyone, but his supporters are continually willing to look past that.
The Obamas are people of good character and interesting. Hillary Clinton served her country for many years. Bill does have his flaws, but they are both interesting people. Also, you may not like to hear, but both these presidents balanced, their budgets at the end of the presidencies. The last 11 recessions have happened under Republican president except for one.
You’re right, many politicians have become quite wealthy working for the country, hopefully.
Good article, Henry, although it seemed to upset the bloated, big government proponents who obviously miss the Biden/Harris regime and miss all the wonderful things that they did for this country.
Thank God for President Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE, and all who are working so hard, to restore our broken down Country! Just more lefties losing it! They can't get a grasp on real life! So sucked into the evilness of the Democrats. There are a few that are finally able to see thru the demonic flames, and swimming their way up and out. Congratulations to them! We'll be there to lend you our hands and help pull you out of all that stinkin, rotten, evil, thieving corruption the lefties have built in the deepest depths of Hell! They have taken and taken and taken all they could from us, but... They NEVER broke us!! That's why their so mad!!! Republicans are STRONG and UNBREAKABLE! They tried to kill President Trump a few times, and failed!! God put him here to dig us out of what you buried us in. You will NEVER break us!! GO President Trump! Go Elon Musk! Go DOGE! Go Tom!! All of you, don't stop!! But... Tom, please come back to California, the migrants are now coming by BOAT FULLS!! Mexican, Russians, Chinese, etc ..!! Please come get them before they get us!! I'm not paying any more taxes so NewScum can give OUR money to THEM!! NO!!! They can throw this elderly old lady, who is in a wheelchair with so many health issues, in jail, but I'm done!!! NewScum wants them here, let HIM give them HIS money, and let THEM loose on HIS family!! He also started his dumb assed podcast, ON OUR TAX DOLLAR!!! He's working his show and COLLECTING A PAYCHECK, BUT NOT HELPING CALIFORNIA ANY LONGER!!! So, GET HIM OUT!! You want THAT to be your president??? He is the center of this evilness!!! I'm done, but not....
Amen! Amen! Amen!
This is a shock to the liberals nervous system. Trump as president. Musk, the once golden boy now is a Nazi, a Cabinet in inhabited and run by sane smart people. The comfy cozy blanket of corruption and business as usual is being pulled away. Doing nothing is easy, making change requires some effort. This country is in dire need of exactly the kind of adjustment Trump is doing. You can freak out all you want but in the end every one will benefit. There was an old saying, "Take a lude, man."
Right on Henry!
Don't advocate taking drugs to squelch free thought. There is plenty to appropriately criticize about Musk and Trump. As I write, Trump is having freedom fighters and anti war activists arrested.
Great article Henry. Jimmy Carter's net worth was about $10M, "peanuts" compared to others. Jimmy's existence was probably before the Dems tapped into USAID for all of their "lunch money." There is no doubt in our minds that we've been swindled, primarily by our corrupt Dem politicians. You know, I've always thought these high-level Dems looked crooked on the surface. And now digging into their lives, we know they are criminals. We should go by our instincts in the future before we vote for these scumbags. I believe Federal thieves should be tried for treason. Consider the military hardware money stolen that should've been used to protect the country. For example, consider the mothballing or target-practice sinking of Spruance-class destroyer ships, first one was commissioned (the DD963) in 1975, were too soon destroyed. All of the thirty-one Spruance-class destroyer ships built were gone by 2005. Too expensive to maintain, you say. We have a floundering Navy with China and Russia essentially combined to compete with us on the open seas. Did the Washington, DC thugs steal our military money which required the demolition of our military? Treason.
Unbelievable rampant corruption. And it cannot be denied.
The amazing thing to me is how long this has been going on without question. We've known for a long-time politicians became wealthy in office, but it was never questioned to a criterion for an investigation. Did we put that much trust in politicians, thinking they would not be corrupt? Maybe humans are pushovers.
Carter was too stupid to figure out how to steal.
I think Carter was a softie President unlike Trump going for the jugular.
Be interesting to see the net worth of: AOC, Talib, Jeffries, and the rest of our reps.
RN: Be sure to view the Tucker Carlson recent interview with one of the founders of "Invest like a Politician" - a group that tracks elected representatives disclosed investment decisions and their investment gain track records - this is public knowledge but this group finally made it accessible and allows anyone in the public to also "invest like a politician". The list of the dirtiest (aka most successful) dozen has some surprises.
Another example of invalid comparisons, false equivalencies and flawed reasoning. Comparing the challenges of laid-off forestry service employees with those of a retired President? Come now. That’s like saying you’ll solve the egg price problem by teaching Blue Whales to lay eggs. You have conveniently forgotten that Elon does benefit from government contracts. In fact, somehow a multibillion dollar one was very recently moved from Verizon to one of his companies. He hasn’t found fraud — although he’s treated people doing their job like … like his employees. He has found silly ways money is being spent and he’s found some things that he, and the administration, dislike for philosophical reasons. Those are all fair targets. But you can’t believe what he says: in one example, he claimed an $8B savings, BUT, this was revised later to $8M. In short he was off by 100,000%. And, as for reducing the deficit? I assume you’re talking about the deficit that was last eliminated by a Democrat? The one that ballooned under Trump? The one that Republicans care about only when the Democrats are in power? Is that one we’re talking about. The deficit that the GOP plans to reduce by reducing income? And finally, The worst President was replaced, — but it wasn’t Jimmy Carter that was replaced, it was James Buchanan. And it wasn’t Joe Biden who replaced him, it was Donald Trump. Now, depending on how you count, Trump could actually hold both last and next to last place.
It’s amazing that people are still maniacally focused on the Democrats while The Convicted Felon and his mob are
Blowing up Democracy and aligning the country with brutal dictators who murder their own people! It seems to be an obsession. The democrats are irrelevant to what’s happening as a very tiny man conducts his revenge tour. His animus is staggering….like a spoiled 6 yr old that can’t get his way. Guess you’re okay with all that. ( and for the record, I’m all for govt reform but that’s not what’s happening) I think it’s evil.
How do you come away with that?
Henry - was that to me or Elaine? I'm not too versed in the vertical lines on substack.
Elaine. I too am not too certain about how it all works :)
Huh? I thought Biden was gone.
That's the whole point here Elaine. It's a place to vent your Democratic derangement syndrome. DNS. It's rarely about how great the tariffs are, or why strengthening relationships with dictators like Putin and Xi helps the US out. Or why we need to take over Greenland.
I'm in that position where I detest the Leftist politics of the Democrats and have been "on to" Trump since the 1990's and cannot reconcile with his comments mocking his supporters (his comment about being able to shoot people and still get votes) his derision of American prisoners of war, his comment about being ok with torturing prisoners captured by American troops (note: that throws American POW'S under the bus as our negotiating power goes out the door) and of course his non-apology for his comments about grabbing women by the genitals "I'm sorry if anyone got offended" (if that's not the exact quote, it's very close). But at least he's a man of Christian integrity (has he ever once shown remorse?) and is patriotic. (So what if he doesn't care about American soldiers being captured?)
I feel like a kid caught in a custody battle between two insane parents where I just want to leave home and live with my grandparents. I guess this is the best the two major parties can do.
On a side note, adminstration after administration the national debt keeps climbing and homelessness keeps getting worse, but hey, at least we're making America great again and building back better.
Good one Henry. It's truly remarkable Jimmy Carter, as a former federal employee, did not enrich himself as did Clinton, Obama, and Biden. What were the actions COB took to enrich themselves?
Why is one's fair share a percentage of what one makes? How does that make any sense? Like our lives are owned by the government so they get a piece of whatever we make? A silent partner who benefits when we do? How is that fair? Just? Why isn't our obligation to pay for the Federal government the same as everyone else's? A fair share is an equal amount of the Federal governments spending. Every adult pays the same. Imagine how fast the Federal government will change if the poor are required to pay their equal share. We might see a whole lot more people voting, and they won't be voting for more government.
And talk about incentives. If people get to keep everything they make after paying their Federal tax bill won't people want to make their contributions to our economy more valuable? Talk about unleashing and incentivizing people!
Sure, you are going to say "but what about..." So, for the poor, there will be nothing stopping philanthropist from paying the poor's equal share for them. Charities. But there will be no deductions - for anything. But philanthropists will have tremendous additional resources to do good with. Major difference is they will be doing it voluntarily without personal benefit. Don't think they will? Just look at all the foundations the richest people in the US have set up.
You claimed Carter and Biden were the two worst presidents. I’m curious about your source.
Just to set the record straight. According to the Siena College Research Institute Jimmy Carter was rated 24th, Joe Biden 19th. Donald Trump was rated 43rd out of 45. My only complaint: I thought Trump should have been rated lower.
https://scri.siena.edu/
Joe Biden rated 19th? ? Are you out of your ever-loving mind? ? ? He was absolutely, positively THE worst excuse for a president _EVER_ That jerk almost sank the ship. Thank the Lord Trumpy is back in business taking names and kicking ass!
MC: LBJ was the worst in the past century. Trump will be ranked as greatest in this century. Siena College has zero credibility as do most "polls" today. But both sides use them to make cheap points. Hard to imagine Biden escaping the last rung by any criteria today.
MC: A 10 minute embedded video of clips to support Biden's last place ranking among US presidents, touting his final SOTU was "fiery" - which is exactly the mocking bird message we also got from our own US Rep Salud Carbajal: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/03/08/heres-the-10-minute-video-that-obliterates-the-liberal-medias-protection-of-joe-biden-n2653462
I'll be darned - 'fiery' is the correct spelling :) I shouldda known you'd have it right!
Just as disturbing is now finding out an automatic signature pen was used for most Biden edicts. Which means we still have no idea who was calling the shots for four years, including the flurry or signed orders and pardons during his 11th hour. It is not to hard now to think son Hunter wrote up those bizarre long-standing and preemptive pardons for himself, family members and friends, and why Mom Mom was left out of the preemptive pardon loop.
We should have listened better on Biden Day One, when he asked on live TV "what am I signing?" as Day One Executive orders were shoved under his nose. But from that day forward, is now anyone's guess who in fact was running this show, and using the automatic Biden signature pen to make them official acts of the Office of the President.
One thing to sign ceremonial declarations and birthday cards to centenarians using the auto-pen, but actual Executive Orders and pardons? That is downright scary.
JL - I hope we find out soon - it certainly wasn't Putz Biden calling the shots or running the show.
The worker with the no show job, or well paid and benefitted job with few real duties must have who is crying foul may harbor the following rational:
They perhaps do not connect the fact that another few to several Americans work, get quite a bit of their earnings taken via tax to provide the salary finds for the mentioned worker. If that squares with them it’s illuminating in itself.
Hopefully more likely they see their pay and benefits as a part of a revenue river and do not wonder it source.
Either way it shows thought/behavior patterns that are not attractive.
I would like to point out that if it takes very excessive amounts of borrowing to make the USA work, then is it not a failed idea? The US is trying to do too much. It needs so lose the big ego and stop trying to be everything to everyone.
CMc: America works. Excessive partisan vote-buying using tax dollars does not. Time finally for a reckoning now that younger voters realize the long-term price this relatively recent political vote-buying corruption is landing squarely in their own laps.
The party most associated with "tax and spend" is finally getting its long overdue reckoning. This is a post WWII and post-1962 government employee unionization phenomenon. The clock needs to be turned back, put everything on pause and then - save the good while culling the bad.
Time and patience is required. Organized obstruction only causes the clock to be reset, while exposing the craven greed by those who are opposing this necessary exercise required for the future viability of this entire country coming up on its 250th birthday. The very fact we are finally doing this long overdue government attic clearing right now, after decades of kicking this can down the road for partisan political gain, is proof "America works".
Let's look at some more 'federal workers'.
Seems like all famous folks benefit from book deals and speaking engagements.
Reagan earned millions from public speaking and memoir sales after his presidency. His net worth grew from approximately $10 million to $15 million by the time of his death in 2004.
George W. Bush: Bush doubled his net worth from $20 million to $40 million after leaving office. This was largely due to the success of his memoir and speaking engagements, reportedly earning six-figure fees per appearance.
Even tricky Dick managed to grow his wealth. Reports show that despite being booted, his net worth increased from $2 million to $15 million by the time of his death in 1994.
Speaking of ‘federal workers’, check out how much this one has so far these past 2 months just in golfing expenses. Where’s DOGE on this?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-already-spent-10-003317081.html
MC: One could assume Trump is also doing a lot of work on the golf course with his golfing partners, since it is one of the few places he can hope to be away from the deep state palace spies.
Run a list of his golfing partners into your charge of laziness and frivolity, and let's see if they are purely for pleasure, relaxation or what many others use golf games to accomplish - frank business and policy conversations while also judging the "mettle of the man".
I think most know Trump works 24/7, so trying to "shock us" he also plays golf will not get many takers here. Just play that one through.
JL,
Not sure that MC mentioned anything about Trump spending millions playing golf (he didn’t), but in the clip shown below, Trump goes on record stating he “won’t have time” to golf.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/07/trump-falsely-claims-obama-played-more-golf-president.html#
PS Glad to see this man ,who does need exercise, gets it. Is your point, that Slate claims Trump lied to you. And this hearsay rankles you somehow?Hang in there because it will l be a rough next few months, if you are letting Slate keep a Trump scorecard for you.
Onwards. This government house cleaning was absolutely necessary, and some crockery will get broken in the process for sure. Can you handle it?
I don't care if Peter can handle it - I'm more concerned about the Nation can handle it. We'll see, though. Waste needs to be eliminated. My guess is that Trump is too weak and will pull back every time the stock market tanks. The graph of the market seems like the only thing that kind of keeps him on track.
TJ: My animal spirits of the market place tell me it is the organized TDS Democrat lawfare obstruction and really negative Democrat appointed judges that is tanking the markets and impeding the promise of a new Trump administration.
Anticipation of what Trump could accomplish is why the markets soared. This stated back in 2022, when the GOP took back the House. Now the reality of the Democrats organized astro-turf resistance, with the deep state swamp digging in with every tool they still have in their hot little hands has put a temporary pall on the prior pro-Trump, pro-GOP market enthusiasm.
Once the Democrat and RINO last gasp obstructionist hurdles are surmounted, and the current negative Democrat blame-Trump narratives get quashed, the animal spirits will be back on track again. Just not right this transitory instant - this Democrat and deep state obstruction was anticipated.
It will take more slogging to get past and around it. Because we must. We came too close to losing it all.
No question the unelected Democrat deep state and their friendly judges have dug in, but that was exactly the point and why voters across the country demanded change in 2024. It will be morning in America again, and the swamp is getting cleared, step by step. Which is the good way to do this - one step at a time. It is happening. Two steps forward, one step backwards.
It took until August of Reagan's first term before he fired all the air traffic controllers after all. Times of major change are always bumpy at first. Proving if nothing else Trump is "not a dictator", just a human being trying to color within the lines after all but also pushing into new frontiers to get out ofthe fetid swamp he inherited.
"Trump and Musk aren’t doing it for any personal gain." Henry, how big was the smirk on your face when you wrote that? Or maybe you're simply not aware of Trump and Musk's nascent "crypto strategic reserve" which involves using U.S. tax revenues to purchase billions, if not trillions, of dollars of cryptocurrency, which even Trump called (crypto) a scam just a few years ago.
So why are they so passionately pushing for this crypto strategic reserve? Might it have something to do with the cryptocurrency industry having poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign? Or might it be a surreptitious way for favor-seeking entities to funnel money to pliant politicians? Or is it simply because both Trump and Musk happen to have crypto currencies of their own (World Liberty Financial and Doge respectively) they are trying to hock which may well be included in this federal reserve? "Strategic"?--you bet'cha!
I learned a long time ago - want something done right? Hire a winner . . . like Musk!
Earl, what exactly do you, or more likely, did you do for a living?
Successful entrepreneur. Currently developing dogfighting drones.
Sounds like a lot of fun.
Thank you Henry! Great summary. We need a side-by-side reminder of what prominent political hacks have been touting all these decades compared to the truth. Their lies, their smears their not-in-my-back-yard hypocracy, Maxine Watters, Martha's Vinyard residents, AOC, Clintons, Obamas, etc, etc, etc. Sad thing is too many adults raised in the past decades of the easy times we have all enjoyed since WW2, really believe money grows on trees.
Great beginning creating a task force on transparency for our own corrupt or inept elected officials in Santa Barbara County! As a native Californian, I am SO SICK of the cronyism and nepotism I've watched since the 70s. Shameful, money doesn't grow on trees (global warming and drought 😅) ignorant liberals. And when our nation finally implodes they will stand agog, mouths dropped open, totally clueless why every store and small business are gone forever. Or why forced gender surgeries will bring about many innocent children loosing their ability to continue on in life. Again, Apocalypse Now, "Oh, the horror of it all." Just Derranged Syndrome! Plain and simple. Spock warned, The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." And all Joni Mitchell had to worry about was a big parking lot.
You say that the right doesn’t go around bragging about their wealth, you might’ve forgotten that trump was constantly saying, “I’m rich,I’m very rich” plus his character is crass, crude, misogynistic, homophobic, heartless, I could go on, but I shouldn’t have to remind you or anyone, but his supporters are continually willing to look past that.
The Obamas are people of good character and interesting. Hillary Clinton served her country for many years. Bill does have his flaws, but they are both interesting people. Also, you may not like to hear, but both these presidents balanced, their budgets at the end of the presidencies. The last 11 recessions have happened under Republican president except for one.
You’re right, many politicians have become quite wealthy working for the country, hopefully.
Good article, Henry, although it seemed to upset the bloated, big government proponents who obviously miss the Biden/Harris regime and miss all the wonderful things that they did for this country.