Trump and top officials waged a violent military-style coup attempt right in front of us all. They need to be prosecuted.

This article was updated on Jan. 18, 2021.

Back in July, former U.S. Sen. Timothy E. Wirth and CNBC founder Tom Rogers outlined a chilling scenario in a Newsweek story.

Basically, Democrat Joe Biden would win the Electoral College, including the important swing states of Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Don the Con Trump would declare “mail-in ballot fraud” but largely blame the Chinese to invoke emergency powers and U.S. Justice Department investigations. With the four swing states having Republican-led state legislatures, they refuse to certify the election results. Since neither candidate can attract 270 electoral votes, the matter is thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives with each state getting one vote. …

If you are a Trump supporter, don’t act like a fake nice person around me. Just be an a$$, so we both can vent and move on.

Updated Oct. 12, 2020

I’ve had numerous debates with conservatives in my day. One of my favorites was during a 2004 drive through Tennessee on my way to Texas from Washington, D.C. At one point, I had listened to every tape of Springsteen, Seger, Petty, and others that I had. …

Trump & Son, Lyin’ Ted among most dishonest politicos in PolitiFact’s independent statement accuracy ratings

Updated Oct. 12, 2020

Honesty is a trait that often goes missing in action in society, especially in politics. But even in that shell game, some are more forthright than others.

PolitiFact, a Pulitzer Prize-winning outfit that has monitored the public statements of key public figures since 2007, lends some clues into who is more honest than most. …

The media exists to hold those in powerful positions accountable. It’s tougher to do in this age, but some are still doing so.

In 1984, at the height of Ronald Reagan’s militarism, the editor of a Texas suburban newspaper — where I had worked as a reporter for two years right out of college — told me the paper could not print a feature article I wrote on a local woman who began a nuclear weapons freeze organization because it would “upset” advertisers. After all, many of those advertisers worked for the U.S. military/industrial complex.

This is a situation that sadly is more common in today’s media environment than it was in 1984. I had a choice back then: I could meekly resign myself to this ethical roadblock and go back to work, or I could quit my job in protest and find another way to get the story to the public. I was 24, probably even more liberal and idealistic than I am now, and the proverbial “angry young man” who wasn’t going to compromise my idealism and integrity or let anyone stop me from my mission to expose our society’s evil bastards. I was single and didn’t have to worry about feeding a family, as I do now. So, of course, I chose the latter option. I took the story to a competition paper — which published it — and submitted my letter of resignation to my boss. I didn’t regret it then, and I don’t regret it now. In fact, I’m prouder of my stand now. …

Trump and other conservatives ignore how their supporters are greater socialists than liberals when it comes to government assistance

Leslie County, population 11,310 in southeastern Kentucky, is Ground Zero for Trump Country.

In 2016, some 89.4 percent of voters there cast ballots for Trump, the highest percentage of any county in that state and one of the largest in the nation. About one-third live below the federal poverty level. Some 97 percent of residents are white.

They have been through tough times, from coal mines shutting down to a steady stream of commercial and residential flight. Most people there believe in the axiom of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” during the lean times. …

Even in redacted form, the Mueller Report is more damaging to Trump than initially suspected. If Clinton could be impeached over an extramarital affair investigation, Trump can over working with a foreign country to sabotage an election.

Flashback to mid-summer, 2016.

Donald Trump trailed Hillary Clinton in most polls and knew he needed to do something drastic to surge ahead. So he issued a challenge in a news conference — not to his campaign, supporters or voters in general. But to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his network of slippery intelligence hackers.

“I have nothing to do with Putin,” Trump said in one of many falsehoods. He then went on to say that Putin had called Barack Obama the “n word” as a means of showing that the former KGB lieutenant colonel didn’t respect the current U.S. president. Many thought that was another lie, but it wasn’t. …

Obama, Clinton among most honest public figures in PolitiFact’s independent statement accuracy ratings

This story was updated on May 1, 2019.

It seems more than ever these days, people accuse politicians, talk show hosts, and other public figures of lying. Most provide little evidence.

If you want some evidence, review PolitiFact, a Pulitzer Prize-winning outfit that has monitored the public statements of key public figures for more than a decade. We’re talking the Tampa Bay Times, not the New York Times, as this project’s organizers. That Florida paper is about as moderate and middle-of-the-road as they come.

Decisions on what statements are monitored are determined by independent journalists, which lead some who are really biased to claim that professionals who strive to be fair and accurate are actually biased. Everyone is biased to some degree, but to claim that most journalists cannot separate their personal beliefs from their professional duties is hogwash. Some can’t, but the large majority of journalists can and do. …

Quora bans my comment that pointed out biased inaccuracies as hate speech

If you participate in this social media game long enough, you will step on some toes and offend people. And you will receive some comments you consider offensive yourself.

That’s the nature of the game, one I fully accept. I don’t really care if people call me names, which they have. That says more about them than me. Occasionally, I will turn around and call some public figure a name, such as referring to Rush Limbaugh as “Fat Bastard.” …