Who Told Trump To Apologize To The British?

Last week was bigly bad for Donald. He would have been much better off skipping Davos. His Greenland threats went flat, and his Peace Club was reduced to foreign aid recipients. Worse for his battered ego, he had to apologize to Britain for his remark about their NATO troops. 

The reason of course he had such a bad week was that he has no advisors, at least on his cabinet. But the apology does indicate that he does listen to someone, because I cannot imagine that he realized that an apology was necessary on his own. If it is Stephen Miller or Steve Witkoff, or someone else, my staff has not determined. There does however seem to be some definite advice toward moderation. Tom Homan is replacing Gregory Bovino in Minneapolis, suggesting Trump knows that ICE has gone too far.

We do know that a victim of Trumpism is our homegrown Ryan Mackenzie. His press release yesterday on the ICE shooting was better thought out than his meme last week praising Trump. On this recent shooting he struck a conciliatory tone, although staying to the right.There was no mention that Kristi Noem defended the shooting, and other immediate knee-jerk reactions from the administration.

The Toll Of Trump's Arrogance

For Trump's second term, he wasn't going to put up with any pesky advisors. No expertise need apply. He assembled a cast of sycophants, yes men and women, whose requirements were no deeper than their appearance.

Last week Trump put the last nail in our coffin with Europe. He undid alliances going back to the First World War. Europe knew Trump was deficient  before last week, but then Britain actually wanted an apology about NATO losses in Afghanistan. Trump apologized to the British, but not to other NATO members. Our next president is going to have a job on his hands just restoring trust with our former allies.

Most consequential to American health is Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine ignorance is reviving dormant diseases. Most consequential to American defense is Hegseth, who has turned our Navy into pirates. Most consequential to our democracy are Noem and Bondi, who defend Americans being killed for protest. Although this recent shooting by ICE is under investigation, with mixed reports about the sequence of events, it is clear that ICE is doing the country more harm than good at this point. Republicans will have to decide if they put party or country first.

MacKenzie Doubles Down On Trump

I was surprised to see the Trump meme on Mackenzie's Facebook feed. While I have been recommending that the Congressman speak out against Trump, I figured that he would just quietly promote himself, with little to no mention of Trump. 

Could Trump be more popular here in the Valley and Poconos than I realize? I don't think so .Is it possible that Mackenzie thinks that the President's agenda is wonderful?

While Mackenzie's Democratic opponent is yet unknown, it is known that it will be a very expensive election. In addition to maintaining a majority in the house, Trump is concerned about impeachment. I'll speculate that Ryan is going for the campaign money, and likely Trump himself campaigning for him.

Siegel Bites Holihan Twice

Last fall when Republican DA Gavin Holihan endorsed Josh Siegel, the local Republicans were upset. He was endorsing a Democrat, a no-no in politics. To add to the angst, Siegel, a couple positions earlier, had marched with a defund the police group.

Earlier this week Siegel announced the eviction of a federal enforcement agency, playing on the current emotions against ICE. Never mind that this particular agency is involved with human trafficking, not deportation. Among those upset with the decision is Holihan, who counts on and cooperates with that agency against traffickers. 

The eviction dog and pony show was co-sponsored by Siegel and Mark Pinsley, a perpetual candidate now running for the 7th Congressional district nomination. Like Pinsley who is currently County Controller, Siegel may have ambitions beyond County Executive. I doubt that Holihan will want to be bitten three times.

Jarrett Coleman Speaks Out

Jarrett Coleman has been taking some flak for calling Philadelphia a sh-t hole. He accused their progressive DA of being too soft on crime. 

Just a few years ago the DA and the former police chief decided to turn their backs on shop lifting. Finally the merchants cried uncle loud enough to be heard.  Larry Krasner the DA has responded to Coleman that the homicide rate is lower than it has been in a decade. Credit poor aim and good ER hospitals.

Coleman is my favorite pol in Harrisburg, he actually wants an accounting by Allentown's NIZ. Although his choice of words about the City Of Brotherly Love may have been better chosen, he's correct about safety in Philadelphia. There are neighborhoods there, like Kensington, that most cities would not tolerate.

Trump The Tariff Man

Trump's threat to use tariffs against countries which do not support his grab for Greenland is a threat too far. In a recent post I wrote that his political support in the country is crumbling fast. This latest threat will likewise erode his international influence. He, and consequently we, are being taken less seriously everyday. 

Thank goodness for the midterms. By November any member of Congress wanting to be re-elected will have to speak out against this would be king. For my vote they would have to have spoken out much earlier.

I don't know what kind of psychiatric department Walter Reed has, but it will be in the news soon, because their Commander and Chief is quickly losing it. Yesterday he told the world that because he didn't get the Nobel Peace Prize, he doesn't have to behave.

Ryan Mackenzie Has Two Opponents

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie is facing two opponents in November. One is a Democrat, as of yet unnamed. The other is Donald Trump, and his declining popularity. Although Mackenzie will not face the dreaded Trump primary challenge, he's trying to ride the fence between these two opponents. 

At this recent press conference, Mackenzie said he supports the separation of authority with the Federal Reserve, yet, if Chairman Powells did indeed something wrong, that he should be prosecuted. He defends the ICE officer in the Minneapolis shooting, but Trump wants to defend the protesters in Tehran.  

Mackenzie's tightrope walking will become more difficult as the election nears. By spring he will have a real Democrat hurling accusations, and a President who is more taken with his powers. By that time the first term congressman will have to take an absolute position on the issues as they arise, if he hopes to return to Washington.

ADDENDUM:Local mainstream is reporting about Mackenzie's support for ICE, so now he has three opponents...the Democrat, Trump and himself.

OPEN MIKE WEEKEND

                        ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON ANY TOPIC.  

Mary Ann Donuts and Donald Trump

Amanda Seyfried gave Allentown another plug on national TV, and in gratitude MaryAnn Donuts delivered their goods to the Stephen Colbert Show. That concludes the good part of this post.

Maria Machado wanted to share her Nobel Peace Prize with Donald Trump, and told him that the people of Venezuela are counting on him for their freedom. Well, that's more faith in him than the people of Minneapolis have. They're counting on him to get his ICE Cadets out of there.

Apparently, the people in Tehran might have also overestimated our help. So many of our assets were moved from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to pilfer Venezuela's oil. Apparently we're going to use mercenaries to protect the snatched oil wells.

Trump's Crumble Will Be Swift

The Trump crumple with the public is starting, and it will be swift. Joe Rogan, podcast influencer of the young, is becoming disillusioned more with Trump every day. Giving the finger to a Ford factory worker isn't exactly courting the blue collar MAGA base.

Telling prosecutors and Pam Bondi that they're weak isn't winning points with the Department of Justice and other government workers. We know from Trump's first term that people working for him have a short shelf life. His current staff and appointments were based on loyalty, but that's a two way street.

When the public turns enough, so will the congress. Although Trump is consumed with his legacy, congress is consumed with getting re-elected.

Help Is On The Way

Trump told the people of Tehran that help is on the way. There are plenty of people in American cities who would say no thank you.  Trump promised to end forever wars, but apparently that doesn't apply to wars forever. 

We have the most ill informed president in the history of the country, with the most unqualified cabinet ever assembled, what could go wrong? We have a president who has no understanding or appreciation of the constitution. We have a congress scared of him, who so far, has failed to stand up for the people. We have a polarized country, with a president encouraging the discourse. 

The only hope I see on the horizon is the mid-terms. Here in my district, I see a freshman Republican congressman waffling between the options. He supports Powell, unless he has done something wrong. He supports protest, but you have to be careful not to step over any line. To complicate his predicament, he is in a purple district. His time to get my vote is getting short. I no longer have a problem sitting out elections.

photocredit:TomShortell/LehighValleyNews.com

The Aftermath Of The ICY Hand

On Friday, I elaborated in both the post and comments, that I feel that the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis was a wrongful death. Many readers feel differently, and expressed their views in the comments. This post is not to rehash those videos and conclusions, but rather examine the aftermath.

While initial reactions to the shooting mirrored left/right, Democratic/Republican perspectives, the vigils occurring around the country are another dimension. I believe that this death is another George Floyd type moment, which likewise will have wide sweeping political ramifications.

While Trump and Vance are immune to the repercussions, Kristi Noem may pay the price for her zealousness. Republicans* up for mid-terms will have to buck the front office. Trump is powerful, but shooting protesters in the head has no longer been permitted since Kent State.

Kent State 1970

*Ryan Mackenzie stated at a press conference yesterday that he considers the shooting justified.

Chaos In Democratic Lehigh Valley

Over the weekend it was announced that the chosen Democratic candidate for the state special election in the 22nd District, Julian Guridy, has withdrawn for personal reasons. Meanwhile, articles about how Julian Guridy was chosen over the other candidates two weeks ago still linger on the local media pages. 

To me, the big news is that Ce-Ce Gerlach was once again passed over, and a new Allentown School Board member, Ann Tiburcio, was chosen as the replacement candidate. Mike Schlossberg acted as the spokesman to confirm the candidate switch, and along with Matt Tuerk, provided endorsements. Tiburcio was not even an announced candidate prior to this snap appointment.

While Mike may be acting as spokesman, an important person behind the curtain is his former boss, Jennifer Mann. Jenn is still a discreet Democratic kingmaker in the valley. Apparently, Ce-Ce doesn't fit Jenn's profile for a local state representative. That slur hasn't deterred Ce-Ce from campaigning for the regular May 19th primary. Knowing Ce-Ce's work ethic, I believe that in November of 2026, she will be elected the new state representative for the 22nd District.

above a billboard from 2014, showing an independent candidate and blogger

Disgrace In Minneapolis

Kristi Noem defended the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, despite videos showing that it was an overreaction by the ICE officer. We have cowboy policies being defended by cowgirls. That victim might as well. have been living in Caracas under Maduro. Trump helped cut his Venezuelan victory lap short by blaming the shooting on the radical left.

Elsewhere, we have another Trump cowboy denigrating an American hero and astronaut. In reality, Hegseth is making Mark Kelly viable for 2028

Locally, I'm watching the 7th District race. Unless Mackenzie stands up against the Administration's recklessness very soon, it will matter little who wins the heated Democratic primary.

ADDENDUM: I keep hearing that the officer had the "right" to fire, but was shooting her the right thing to do? ... Not by a country mile.

Plunderer-In-Chief Trump

The consequences of the 2024 election are coming home and abroad to roost much harder and faster than Trump's critics could have imagined.

Trump is warning the Republicans that if they don't win the mid-terms, he will be impeached. He doesn't realize that unless they speak out against his recklessness, they won't be re-elected. His threat against Greenland is an invasion too far. Even though Rubio tried to soften the language, NATO is beginning to realize that they are threatened from both the east and west.

Trump's support was based on MAGA and partisan sycophants. MAGA is beginning to realize that Trump cares more about golf courses than grocery prices. Even that January 6th revisionist demonstration didn't play well.The partisan sycophants read the poll numbers. As much as they liked a winner, they like winning more than any person.

We would all be better off if Trump played more golf.

United States Becomes United Fruit

In the early 1900's, the United Fruit Company installed a president in Honduras, and the phrase Banana Republic came into fruition. We now have a president in the United States who is telling the Western Hemisphere what the new rules are.

Apparently, all natural resources are ours for the taking. Considering Trump thinks that climate change is a hoax, those indigenous people in the Amazon better move out of the way. The new White House ballroom wants a mahogany ceiling.

My pro Trump readers at Molovinsky On Allentown are in an uproar. They tell me that my sources are leftist propaganda, while they have a direct line to the truth. Their Trump is the best thing that has happened to America since baseball and hot dogs.

General Trump

From the photos released from the Situation Room at Mar-a- Lago, you would have thought that Trump was directing the invasion of Normandy in 1944. At any rate, he's quite taken with his new chops as Commander-In-Chief.

Less than a day later, he's talking that we need Greenland, and Cuba was told that they're next. He is braying about a Don-roe Doctrine. Here's a man who already had four star delusions of grandeur, being toasted by his appointed and anointed sycophants.

Although we will certainly profit from pilfering Venezuela's oil, his aggression will not play well on the world stage. Although we may have the most powerful military in the world, our long term economy is dependent on international stability. 

the SOON meme shown above was posted by the wife of Trump Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller.

A Congressional Test

Trump just came off a big weekend with the Venezuela snatching of Maduro. MAGA and the Republican hierarchy are basking in a perceived accomplishment. While momentous for the American oil industry, time will weight the real results for everyone else, including the Venezuelans.

Meanwhile, last week Trump had vetoed a Colorado clean water bill for political reasons. Trump claimed people are leaving Colorado anyway, because one politician is bad and another is scum. Only in Trump's mind is that relevant to a veto. The bill had passed both houses of Congress unanimously.

When the Venezuelan chest beating subsides, and the slur against congressional leaks is considered along with the Colorado veto, we'll see what Congress is made of. If there was ever a veto which demanded an override, it is the Colorado Clean Water Act. With Republican incumbents facing the midterms, and the veto so egregious, I think that the Republicans will have to finally assert themselves.

Colorado National Monument Park

Trading Bananas For Oil

A century ago we managed Central and South America for bananas and rubber. Trump has now decided that he and the oil industry can have Venezuela. For months we heard pretenses about drugs, but at Saturday's press conference Trump wasn't hiding his cards, we're there for the oil.

When Trump and Hegseth bragged on about the military operation, you might have thought that they had extracted Putin from the Kremlin. Caracas isn't Moscow or Peking, but China has invested in Venezuelan oil production, over a $billion. While Hegseth and Rubio fell over each other praising their boss, they would be better serving their country gauging world reaction, which doesn't share their pride.

We also heard that Congress couldn't be trusted to be in the loop, they leak too much. If congress has been passive about Trump's unilateral decisions, now is the time to speak out. Perhaps Fetterman is correct wearing sweatshirts, at least you can't call him an empty suit.

In 1912 we were satisfied with bananas

An Identity Crisis In 2026

Yesterday, I claimed that I was going to become more fashionable, but little did I know that I was only a few hours away from an identity crisis. 

Long time readers of this blog have been recently accusing me of TDS. Seems like my questioning of Trump, and especially his cabinet picks, didn't resonate well with them. I always labeled myself as an independent, so this new criticism of me was almost complimentary. In addition to the blog, I'm also an administrator of a Facebook group. A member there accused me of pushing my rightwing politics when I posted a link to the Amanda Seyfried post. He said my explanation that she was an Allentonian was a BS excuse, and he left the group. So by noon, I was a liberal here, and a Trumper there...But, it got more confusing. I commented on a national site, and a reader stated that I was a Democratic Socialist, using a fake Russian sounding name for emphasis. Who am I?

Meanwhile, back here in the blogosphere, I was again changing the name of my other blog back to its original title. I'm always annoyed by the verification process all the offices use now. I get an email that I have a message from LVHN. I go to their site, and I have to get another email with a verification number to read the message. The message is wishing me a calm year...We'll see.