Fetterman Friday

Another in an ongoing series.

Dear Senator;

I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd like you to answer a question or two.

Bloomberg is reporting: 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare a memo on how to abolish itself and create a re-branded, radically smaller disaster response organization, according to a copy of the document reviewed by Bloomberg News.

As recently as last week, President Donald Trump and Noem said they wanted to wind down FEMA but offered few details publicly. The March 25 memo offers insight into how the administration has weighed which of its current functions to cut. Technically, only Congress can eliminate the agency.

Um. You voted to confirm Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary, right? Let's move on:

Titled “Abolishing FEMA,” the memo was addressed from then-acting FEMA head Cameron Hamilton to his bosses at the Department of Homeland Security and outlines a number of functions that “should be drastically reformed, transferred to another agency, or abolished in their entirety,” possibly as soon as late 2025. Potential changes included eliminating long-term housing assistance for disaster survivors, halting enrollments in the National Flood Insurance Program and providing smaller amounts of aid for fewer incidents — moves that by design would dramatically limit the federal government’s role in disaster response.

Is any of this a good idea, Senator? 

Then there's this:

The memo, meanwhile, outlines numerous ways to drive down federal disaster spending, largely by canceling long-running initiatives, revoking financial assistance altogether in some cases and pushing more disaster oversight and funding onto state and local governments. Many of these proposals appeared in the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025 report — though its authors recommended keeping FEMA intact. Disaster experts, including ex-FEMA officials, say the plans would overwhelm state budgets and lead to longer recoveries, especially if carried out on a fast timeline.

Good idea? Bad idea? Do you support any of this, Senator Fetterman? And if not, when will you be making a public comment on it?

I'll await your answer, Senator. 

As always, I'll post whatever response I get here. 

Alot of Americans Are Going To Die

From The New York Times:

In 13 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Fiona Havers crafted guidance for contending with Zika virus, helped China respond to outbreaks of bird flu and guided safe burial practices for Ebola deaths in Liberia.

More recently, she was a senior adviser on vaccine policy, leading a team that produced data on hospitalizations related to Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus. To the select group of scientists, federal officials and advocates who study who should get immunizations and when, Dr. Havers is well known, an embodiment of the C.D.C.’s intensive data-gathering operations.

On Monday, Dr. Havers resigned, saying she could no longer continue while the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dismantled the careful processes that help formulate vaccination standards in the United States.

You can find a list of her papers here. 

Including this one, which has as it's conclusion:

Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional study of US adults hospitalized with COVID-19, unvaccinated adults were more likely to be hospitalized compared with vaccinated adults; hospitalization rates were lowest in those who had received a booster dose. Hospitalized vaccinated persons were older and more likely to have 3 or more underlying medical conditions and be long-term care facility residents compared with hospitalized unvaccinated persons. The study results suggest that clinicians and public health practitioners should continue to promote vaccination with all recommended doses for eligible persons. [Bolding in original.] 

Back to The Times:

“If it isn’t stopped, and some of this isn’t reversed, like, immediately, a lot of Americans are going to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said in an interview with The New York Times, the first since her resignation.

But hey, if this is one of the reasons you voted for the current regime and you get sick from some vaccine-preventable disease, congratulations. You're having the day you voted for.

The problem is, of course, that in the event you do get sick you could be passing on your preventable disease to someone whose immune system is suppressed and can't be vaccinated. You could be making someone else very sick.

Again congratulations. This is on you.

Let's not forget this science: 

Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional study, an association was observed between political party affiliation and excess deaths in Ohio and Florida after COVID-19 vaccines were available to all adults. These findings suggest that differences in vaccination attitudes and reported uptake between Republican and Democratic voters may have been factors in the severity and trajectory of the pandemic in the US. [Bolding in original.] 

Good for you. 

 

McCormicck Monday

Another in an ongoing series.

Dear Senator;

I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd like you to answer a question or two.

I'd like to ask you about what occurred immediately before US Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference.

The AP reported: 

Video shows a Secret Service agent on Noem’s security detail grabbing the California senator by his jacket and shoving him from the room as he tried to speak up during the DHS secretary’s event. Padilla interrupted the news conference after Noem delivered a particularly pointed line, saying federal authorities were not going away but planned to stay and increase operations to “liberate” the city from its “socialist” leadership.

Time has a little more:

The confrontation came shortly after Noem made a forceful declaration of the federal government's intentions in the city. “We are continuing to sustain and increase our operations in this city, we are not going away. We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and burdensome leadership that this governor and this mayor have placed into this city,” Noem said during the press conference.

Setting aside the assault on your Senate colleague, do you think that this is an appropriate use of the US military?  The removal of a duly elected mayor (and governor?) in order to enforce a political agenda?

Even if the threat does include the removal of either elected official from office, the main threat remains: the military will stay in LA in order to enforce this administration's political agenda - an agenda not supported by the people of the City of Los Angeles or of the State of California.

Is this OK with you, Senator?

I'll await your answer, Senator. 

As always, I'll post whatever response I get. 

No Kings - Pittsburgh, Yesterday

First the frame, from WESA:

With President Donald Trump poised to preside over a massive military parade this weekend, activists in Pittsburgh and around the country took to the streets themselves in a nationwide protest billed as "No Kings Day." Some 1,800 demonstrations are slated to take place nationwide, several in southwestern Pennsylvania alone, in an effort to oppose the authoritarian impulse organizers say the military display — and Trump’s own polices — represents.

Many of those demonstrators came with American flags, dozens of which were visible as a protest outside Pittsburgh's City-County Building got underway around lunchtime. Also in evidence were signs with a wide range of messages. They included such mottos as "Hate Will Not Make Us Great," "Poverty is a Policy Choice," and — in a message with a distinctly Pittsburgh accent — "No Crahn For A Clahn."

Take a look:

I was at the demonstration at The City County Building:

Huge crowd - I was dressed for a light rain but when the sun broke through the clouds, the air was hot and sticky and I had to tie the arms of my light rain raincoat in a knot and wear it like a sash.

Anyway, when the demonstration at that end of Grant Street was done, we marched to the other end:

There was lots of demonstration chanting going on during the march:

• Show me what democracy looks like! THIS is what democracy looks like!
• Hey, hey! Ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!
• Trump's a jagoff!
• Fuck John Fetterman! 

Someone really should let Fetterman's office know that hundreds of people chanted that last one during the Anti-Trump march on Grant Street. I first heard it after the section of the march I was in passed by a guy holding up a "Where's Fetterman?" sign.

Where was Senator John Fetterman, anyway?

I don't know but wherever he was, by virtue of this tweet he completely missed (or was actively avoiding) the point of the "No Kings" demonstrations:

This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us.

Regardless of your politics, it’s appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/YghyZkK2JS

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) June 14, 2025

Yes, it's appropriate to celebrate those things - no one is saying otherwise. But Senator, do you really think that was what was going on during the thousands of demonstrations across the country yesterday?

If you do, you missed the point, if you don't, you're avoiding the reason for all that First Amendment exercising.  Which is it?

Where is your "no kings" tweet?

And Senator, did you know you were booed in Philadelphia yesterday?

From Mediaite (with video from C-Span):

“Now, this is not a rally for one party,” Leah Greenberg, the cofounder of the progressive nonprofit Indivisible told the “No Kings” crowd. “We’ve got Democrats here today. We’ve got Republicans and independents here today. We are looking to the leaders who will fight for us because even today, there are folks among the Democratic Party who think we should roll over and play dead. Anyone seen John Fetterman here today?”

The mere mention of the senator’s name elicited a loud round of boos. 

That can't be good. 

Fetterman Friday

Another in an ongoing series.

Dear Senator;

I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd like you to answer a question or two.

I'd like to ask you again about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, given that you voted to confirm her appointment to head of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Reuters reported:

Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was shoved, forced to the ground and handcuffed by security after attempting to ask a question at a press conference on Thursday held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about immigration raids.

 

"I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said during the press conference in Los Angeles, where Noem was discussing protests in the city over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

 

"Hands off," Padilla, 52, said to security agents before he was ushered out of the room.  

It was then that her security forced to the ground and handcuffed a sitting member of the United States Senate.

The AP reported:

Padilla interrupted the news conference after Noem delivered a particularly pointed line, saying federal authorities were not going away but planned to stay and increase operations to “liberate” the city from its “socialist” leadership.

“I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he shouted in a halting voice.

So the plan is to stay in LA after the protests in order to "liberate" the city from "socialism?" 

In your response on X, you said you were said to see what happened to your colleague and that he deserved better. You also said that:

We collectively must turn the temperature down and find a better way forward for our nation.

Would that include The Administration lying and blaming Sen. Padilla for his being handcuffed? How about Secretary Noem's statement about the plans to use the military to enforce The Administration's political agenda?

And regarding your "both sides" solution, what should the left be doing to turn down the temperature in light of all that? 

Any comment on your vote to confirm Kristi Noem as head of DHS? Do you now regret it or are you still fine with it? 

I'll await your answer, Senator. 

I'll be dropping a copy of this letter in the mail soon and, as always, I'll post verbatim whatever response I get. 

That "Rally" At Fort Bragg

Here's an interesting take from Military.com:

It was supposed to be a routine appearance, a visit from the commander in chief to rally the troops, boost morale and celebrate the Army's 250th-birthday week, which culminates with a Washington, D.C., parade slated for Saturday.

Instead, what unfolded Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, bore little resemblance to the customary visit from a president and defense secretary. There, President Donald Trump unleashed a speech laced with partisan invective, goading jeers from a crowd of soldiers positioned behind his podium -- blurring the long-standing and sacrosanct line between the military and partisan politics.

As Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes, he whipped up boos from the gathered troops directed at California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom -- amid the president's controversial move to deploy the National Guard and Marines against protesters in Los Angeles -- as well as former President Joe Biden and the press. The soldiers roared with laughter and applauded Trump's diatribe in a shocking and rare public display of troops taking part in naked political partisanship.

Yea. But isn't this against the rules? Active duty personnel participating in an overtly political event?

Seems like it is. From a DOD FAQ on the subject: 

Q1. What rules and regulations govern political activities by members of the Armed
Forces?

A1. Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 1344.10 lays out the rules and policy concerning political activities by members of the Armed Forces.

Q2. What is DoD policy regarding participation in political activity by members of the
Armed Forces?

A2. It is DoD policy to encourage members of the Armed Forces to carry out the obligations of citizenship such as voting. However, active duty members are specifically prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity, and all members of the Armed Forces should always avoid actions that could reasonably be perceived as implying DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of partisan political activity.

And if there is any doubt, let's look go back to the article:

"We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again," he proclaimed to soldiers, adding that Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass are "incompetent" and falsely said they're aiding "insurrectionists" while goading troops into booing them.

"I bet none of those soldiers booing even know the mayor's name or could identify them in a lineup; they're nonexistent in the chain of command," an 82nd Airborne noncommissioned officer told Military.com. "So, any opinion they could possibly have can only be attributed to expressing a political view while in uniform."

And: 

Internal 82nd Airborne Division communications reviewed by Military.com reveal a tightly orchestrated effort to curate the optics of Trump's recent visit, including handpicking soldiers for the audience based on political leanings and physical appearance. The troops ultimately selected to be behind Trump and visible to the cameras were almost exclusively male.

One unit-level message bluntly said "no fat soldiers."

"If soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don't want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out," another note to troops said.

They were screened for their political beliefs. And they expressed those beliefs while in uniform.

But hey, look what I found when they asked the Pentagon for a comment:

"Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media," Sean Parnell, a top Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement to Military.com. "Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers." 

That's right. That's our old buddy Sean Parnell.

In that blogpost I found this at The Washington Post:

[Sean] Parnell is in a tough primary battle for the nomination for an open seat in the U.S. Senate, a race crucial to Republicans’ hopes to take back the chamber.

A few years ago, the former Army captain was ordered by law enforcement to leave his home and give up his guns. He is in the process of a divorce as he runs for the Senate, and we’ve learned that Parnell’s wife had called 911 in relation to a domestic dispute and filed two protection-from-abuse orders against him that were lifted after a few days.

That's the guy who Pete Hegseth chose to be Pentagon Spokesman.

Oh, the joys of having an old blog... 

 

 

Deep Shit

Republicans and the Right have always claimed to be in favor of "small government." Their biggest argument for the Second Amendment of our Constitution has been that people need their guns in case government gets out of hand. And yet, we see that they have absolutely no problem with the President of the United States sending in not only the National Guard against a state's governor's wishes, but actual Marines into a state to stop protests by citizens. Protests, mind you, that only cover a few square blocks and that the police of that city were handling and did not request or need help dealing with.

Moreover, not a few, have expressed the desire for troops to actually kill the protesters. They actually revel in the thought of this. 

I have to say that I'm not surprised at this. Most now look back in horror at the shootings at Kent State. However, I was in 5th grade when Kent State happened and was going to school in Westmoreland County, which if you don't know, is in what is called The T in Pennsylvania, which is a red part of the state. I remember when we discussed the shootings in class, I was horrified to find out that the majority of my classmates expressed the belief that if the students were shot then they must have been doing something wrong. I am sure they got this from what they had heard their parents saying. 

In other words, not much has changed in their attitudes. 

But, we have to realize that a whole lot has changed in our political environment. 

For example, if Trump did a Watergate now, would he even be impeached over it? Trump's list of crimes as president make Nixon look like a novice in comparison. 

And now, we know that we couldn't, say, count on The Washington Post to hold him to account, nor much of the other mainstream media. Oh sure, there might be some headlines for a day or two, but there would be five or six other scandals that would quickly take its place. 

Worse still, perhaps the majority of Americans don't even trust the media anymore. And, Nixon did not have a Fox News pumping out propaganda in his favor on a 24/7 basis. He also didn't have media which were completely cowered by his threats.

And that I believe is Trump's biggest sin: Convincing the American public that they can't believe objective facts. Facts don't exist anymore. Anything can be "fake news." 

Vaccines? They're poison. Immigrants? There's 20 million of them who came into this country in the past four years and they're all murderers and rapists and gang members. A president who can sell meme coins and accept a $200 million golden airplane from a foreign country? This has nothing to do with grift.

We also now have social media and AI. Social media provides a place for the worst ideas to fester and amplify and for people to gather. We didn't have the richest man in the world egging it all on back then and algorithms pushing it all further. We didn't have AI providing even the most design and visually challenged Joe Schmo a way to create endless visually appealing propaganda. Propaganda that apparently the average person can't even tell is not real. We didn't even have endless video and photographs at everyone's fingertips where they can push visuals from years ago claiming that it happened today.

And on top of this, Nixon did not have a Supreme Court who said that anything he did while President was basically legal.

We are in deep shit, people.

All I know is that everyone who still cares about democracy must fight back in any way that they can. 

Protest? Yes! Call and write your representatives? Yes! Document the lies on social media? Yes! Hold the media to account? Yes! Talk to your friends and relatives? Yes! Use your privilege to stand up for those who can't? Yes, yes, yes!

Do whatever is in your power. Do whatever you can or we will be lost forever.

Um...No Kings

From The New York Times:

President Trump said on Tuesday that protesters who assembled during a military parade he planned in Washington on Saturday for the Army’s 250th birthday would be met with “very big force” — a dark warning that made no distinction between peaceful demonstrations and violent confrontations.

In remarks from the Oval Office before he left for North Carolina, where he was scheduled to participate in events at Fort Bragg related to the anniversary, Mr. Trump boasted about the “amazing day” he planned before saying that any demonstrators would be dealt with harshly.

“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” Mr. Trump said. “And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force.” [Emphasis added.]

And from The Bill of Rights:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. [Emphasis added.]

No Kings. 

Feel free to join.