MAGA savagery, cruelty, moral rot and cynical bad faith

The Hill quotes MAGA freak and cynical liar US Senator Mike Lee:

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Monday condemned social media posts from her colleague Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) spreading unfounded claims about the man suspected of killing a Minnesota Democratic lawmaker and her husband Saturday morning.

“I have condemned what Mike Lee did here at home, and I will speak to him about this when I return,” Klobuchar said on MSNBC. “And what I’m going to tell him is: This isn’t funny.”

“This was an incredible woman, her husband, her two kids — yesterday on Father’s Day, there was no Father’s Day for them,” she said. “They lost both their parents.”

Lee posted, “This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way,” Sunday on X, along with a photo of the suspected shooter released by the FBI, showing a masked man at the door of a lawmaker’s house.

Lee followed up with another post of the masked man’s photo alongside a headshot of Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect, with the text “Nightmare on Waltz Street,” an apparent reference to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). 

“It’s Father’s Day, and you’re spending your time tweeting lies about a tragedy to run cover for a right-wing domestic terrorist,” the party’s official account posted. “Pathetic.” The account of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party also replied, “Using Speaker Hortman’s murder to spread right-wing lies is evil and vile. Your dishonor will be your legacy.” (emphases added)

Yes, not funny. But also far worse. Lee is cruel, morally rotted, and acting in cynical bad faith. He is a callous, ignorant, liar. The Minnesota shooter was not a Democrat or a Marxist. Lee is a brainwashed, asshole dipshit. This is the kind of crap and lies we routinely get from Republican MAGA elites and djt himself. MAGA thugs like Lee are the ones lying, insulting, attacking democracy and fomenting violence.

Q1: Does evidence so far indicate that the Minnesota shooter is more likely a Marxist Democrat or a MAGA Republican? Fact check yourself.

A1: Based on available evidence, Vance Boelter, the suspect in the Minnesota lawmaker shootings, is more likely aligned with MAGA Republican ideology rather than Marxist Democrat beliefs. The evidence overwhelmingly points to conservative political views and anti-abortion extremism. 

Political Registration and Voting History: Boelter's voter registration records show a clear Republican affiliation in his past 1 2. He was registered as a Republican in Oklahoma in 2004 before moving to Minnesota 1. More recent Minnesota records from 2016 and 2020 listed him as having "none or other" affiliation and "no party preference" respectively, which is common since Minnesota voters are not required to declare party affiliation when registering 3 4.  

Boelter held deeply conservative religious views that are inconsistent with Marxist ideology 1 7. He was described as a "devout Christian" who attended an evangelical church and participated in Trump campaign events 1. As an evangelical pastor in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Boelter preached against abortion, telling a congregation in 2023 that the U.S. was in a "bad place" where most churches didn't oppose abortion 1 7.  

In recorded sermons, Boelter expressed anti-LGBTQ+ views, claiming that people who were uncertain of their sexual orientation had been influenced because "the enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul" 7 8. These positions align with conservative evangelical Christianity, not Marxist or progressive Democratic ideology.

Q2: How prevalent is belief in Marxism among Democratic politicians in congress and state legislatures?

A2: Belief in traditional Marxism among Democratic politicians in Congress and state legislatures is extremely limited, with very few politicians openly identifying as Marxists 1 2. The vast majority of Democratic politicians operate within capitalist frameworks and do not advocate for the abolition of private property or other core Marxist principles 2 3.

As of 2024, there are no openly Marxist members of Congress 1 4. The closest representation comes from Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members, who number only a few in the House of Representatives 5 4:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14): DSA member since 2019 5 4
Rashida Tlaib (MI-13): DSA member since 2019 5 4
Greg Casar (TX-35): DSA member since 2023 5 4

Recent losses have reduced DSA representation, with Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush both losing their primary elections in 2024 6 5.

Qs: Is it unfair or irrational to characterize Mike Lee as a MAGA thug, cruel, or a lying POS? Does his ignorance, if that is what is at play here, excuse him as a US Senator and his ice-cold cruelty and blatantly false statements?

Mike Lee

Human filth or doing a fine, patriotic job?

The people of Utah elected that beast

MAGA bits: Toxic, noxious, pestilential and just plain insane

djt now shows clear evidence of being full-blown insane (crazy-go-nuts) in addition to being a childish narcissist, chronic liar, kleptocrat, anti-vaxx crackpot, sex weirdo and predator, convicted felon, etc. 

TNR reports that djt is proposing far more aggressive anti-immigrant bigotry and racism. He now endorses "remigration." That is far-right, racist authoritarian crackpottery that advocates mass deportation of immigrants, including naturalized citizens! That amounts to a dramatic escalation of fascist anti-immigrant bigotry and racism. He also intensified his attacks on Harvard University, threatening to reallocate $3 billion in federal grants to trade schools while falsely claiming foreign students displace American applicants. Although legal experts argue this is unlawful and courts temporarily blocked it, we all know that djt could not care less about breaking laws. He has immunity, thanks to his MAGA USSC. 

In other MAGA pestilence, The Guardian reports about new and improved MAGA policies for the VA (Veterans Administration). The new rules allow doctors, psychologists, dentists and other VA health care providers to refuse to treat Democrats and unmarried veterans. The new and improved rules were imposed after djt signed an EO (Executive Order). These rules allow discrimination on the basis of anything that is not legally protected.

After the failure of djt's poorly attended military parade and the success of the nationwide No Kings anti-djt protests, the AP reports that djt has ordered ICE to be more aggressive about deporting people in cities that Democrats control. He said that ICE “must expand efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where millions upon millions of illegal aliens reside. .... If we didn’t have the National Guard on call and ready, they would rip Los Angeles apart.” What a noxious child he is. 

The Daily Beast reports that djt has clarified that "America First" means whatever he says it means. He said that in response to criticism from some MAGA supporters over U.S. support for Israel’s military actions against Iran. It is good to get that squared away.

The Independent reports that Latinas for Trump, apparently a fine group of apparently low information voters, now say that djt's deportations is not what they voted for. Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia said in X blither on Saturday: “This is not what we voted for. I have always supported Trump, through thick and thin. However, this is unacceptable and inhumane.” She said her Cuban-refugee parents “are now just as American, if not more so, than Stephen Miller. This undermines the sense of fairness and justice that the American people value.” Seriously? Bwahahahahahaha!!

Obviously, Ms. Garcia is seriously disinformed. She doesn't get it.

File under Predictable: Israel urges U.S. to join war with Iran to eliminate nuclear program

Axios' Barak Ravid reports: 

Israel has asked the Trump administration over the past 48 hours to join the war with Iran in order to eliminate its nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials.

The big picture: Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran.

• But the Trump administration has so far distanced itself from Israel's operation, and argued that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate by striking U.S. targets.
• Directly attacking Iran, even if the U.S. involvement is limited to bombing a single site, would pull the U.S. directly into the war.
• However, if Fordow remains operational after the operation ends, Israel will have failed in its goal to "eliminate" Iran's nuclear program.

Behind the scenes: An Israeli official claimed to Axios that the U.S. might join the operation, and that President Trump even suggested he'd do so if necessary in a recent conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

• A White House official denied that on Friday. A second U.S. official confirmed on Saturday that Israel has urged the Trump administration to join the war, but said currently the administration is not considering it.
• A senior White House official told Axios Saturday that "whatever happens today cannot be prevented," referring to Israel's attacks.

  Israel has asked the Trump administration over the past 48 hours to join the war with Iran in order to eliminate its nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials.

  The big picture: Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran.

  • But the Trump administration has so far distanced itself from Israel's operation, and argued that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate by striking U.S. targets.
  • Directly attacking Iran, even if the U.S. involvement is limited to bombing a single site, would pull the U.S. directly into the war.
  • However, if Fordow remains operational after the operation ends, Israel will have failed in its goal to "eliminate" Iran's nuclear program.

  Behind the scenes: An Israeli official claimed to Axios that the U.S. might join the operation, and that President Trump even suggested he'd do so if necessary in a recent conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

  • A White House official denied that on Friday. A second U.S. official confirmed on Saturday that Israel has urged the Trump administration to join the war, but said currently the administration is not considering it.
  • A senior White House official told Axios Saturday that "whatever happens today cannot be prevented," referring to Israel's attacks.
    • "But we have the ability to negotiate a successful peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing. The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program," the senior official added.

    What they're saying: "The entire operation... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow," Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told Fox News on Friday.

    • Israeli officials have raised the idea of U.S. participation to take out Fordow with U.S. counterparts since Israel's operation began.
    • An Israeli source said the U.S. is considering the request and stressed Israel hopes Trump agrees.
    •  _____________________________________________________
    I am posting an article by Quincy Institut's Trita Parsi which dives a bit deeper for those interested.
  
  
  

  Israel is not winning. Trump must not cave to new demands for help.

  As Iran mounts an effective response to Israel's war of choice, why should the president now risk US lives to join it?

  
  

  Trita Parsi

  Jun 15, 2025

  Israel’s war of choice with Iran is proving far less decisive than President Donald Trump initially believed when he praised Israel’s performance as “excellent.” What now appears to be an escalating, inconclusive conflict with no clear end in sight will soon force Trump into a challenging decision: end the war — or enter it.

  Israel’s opening strike was undoubtedly a tactical success. Caught off guard by the assumption that Israel wouldn’t act before the sixth round of nuclear talks, Iranian leaders had taken no precautions. Many were asleep in their homes in northern Tehran, alongside their families, when Israeli strikes killed them in their beds. Iran’s air defenses were also unprepared and inactive.

  Israel aimed to eliminate as many Iranian commanders as possible to disrupt Iran’s command and control structure and effectively paralyze its military response. Initially, the strikes were so successful — and Iran so subdued — that it was unclear whether Tehran retained any meaningful capacity to retaliate.

  Impressed by Israel’s early success, Trump moved quickly to claim credit for the operation, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio having declared just hours earlier that the strikes were a "unilateral action" by Israel and that the U.S. was not involved. As the saying goes: success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

  But within 18 hours, Iran had restructured its chain of command, activated its air defenses, and, most critically, launched four missile barrages aimed primarily at Israeli air defense systems. Many of the missiles penetrated Israel’s multilayered defenses, lighting up the Tel Aviv skyline as they struck their targets — including a direct hit on Israel’s Ministry of Defense.

  That Tehran could mount such a response just hours after losing several top military commanders was the first clear sign that Israel’s initial success would be short-lived.

  Although Iran continued to absorb heavy blows on Saturday — including Israeli strikes on oil refineries, Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, and other civilian and economic infrastructure — it responded with additional missile barrages. These were fewer in number but notably more effective. As Israel’s air defenses degrade, Tehran is likely to shift to missiles with larger warheads, increasing the scale of destruction.

  Meanwhile, despite inflicting significant damage on the Natanz nuclear site, Israel has failed to penetrate the far more critical and heavily fortified Fordow facility. As a result, the actual impact on Iran’s nuclear program appears limited. Reports indicate that the U.S. military has provided its missile defense capabilities to shoot down Iranian drones and missiles but it has so far not joined Israel in offensive strikes.

  It is becoming increasingly clear to Washington that Israel’s war of choice is far from a success, and a decisive outcome may not materialize at all. While Israel likely holds escalation dominance, it faces a critical disadvantage: it has fewer air defense interceptors than Iran has long-range missiles. Israel needs a swift and decisive victory — but a prolonged war of attrition may ultimately favor Iran. And such a victory now seems out of reach.

  Unsurprisingly, Israeli officials and their allies in Washington — including groups like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies — have begun lobbying President Trump to bring the U.S. into the war and to join them in offensive strikes. For Trump, this must be a serious letdown. Aware of his reluctance to launch another Middle East war, the Netanyahu government had recalibrated its approach when it pressed Trump earlier in January: rather than urging the U.S. to strike Iran directly, it sought a green light for Israel to act. Through an intense lobbying campaign, Israel appears to have secured at least tacit approval from Trump for this campaign.

  Just 24 hours into its war of choice with Iran, Israel was already back in Washington, knocking on Trump’s door with new demands. What began as “Give us the green light and Israel will bomb Iran for America” quickly shifted to “Hurry up, America, and bomb Iran for Israel!”

  Israel faces two key challenges with this request. First, seeking America’s blessing to go to war is a far lighter ask than requesting America’s direct military involvement. Trump, unexpectedly, agreed to the former — but it would be exceptionally unwise for him to agree to the latter.

  Secondly, as noted earlier, Trump likes winners — and by asking him to intervene, Israel is signaling that it’s losing. It has failed to eliminate Iran’s regime or cripple its nuclear program, and is now absorbing unexpected blows in return (today Iran sent a barrage of missiles during daytime rather than night to throw the Israelis off). Why would Trump risk American lives, endanger his presidency, and join a war he didn’t start — just to rescue Israel from a failed and unprovoked conflict? Trump prefers to take credit for victories, not inherit blame for someone else’s potential fiasco.

  After all, it was Israel that persuaded Trump to adopt the zero-enrichment negotiating stance — the very position that led to the diplomatic deadlock Israel later exploited to secure a green light for its faltering military campaign. Had Trump stuck to his original red line — no weaponization — he might now be on the verge of a historic nuclear agreement with Iran.

  Trump listened to Netanyahu—just as he did to John Bolton and Mike Pompeo in 2018—and once again, his path to an America First deal with Iran was derailed. This is precisely the outcome Netanyahu sought. If it’s not what Trump wants, he should change course immediately—just as he did in Yemen. Rather than joining Israel’s war, he should compel Israel to end it.

  With its unprovoked war, Israel has undermined Trump’s negotiating position in two key ways. First, support for acquiring a nuclear weapon has surged among Iran’s elite and broader society in response to the Israeli bombings. This has raised the political cost for Tehran to agree to limit enrichment to civilian levels, making a deal more difficult.

  Second, America’s backing of Israel’s attack — coupled with Trump’s self-congratulatory rhetoric — has led Tehran to believe he deliberately lulled Iran into a false sense of security to boost Israel’s chances. As a result, what little trust remained in Trump as a negotiating partner has further eroded. And the less trust there is, the narrower the path to a deal.

  Still, a deal remains possible. But the sooner Trump halts Israel’s war, the better his chances. One thing is certain: if Trump and Iran return to the negotiating table, he must quickly abandon the self-defeating zero-enrichment demand championed by Israel and Bolton — the very stance that gave birth to this needless and messy war.

   

MAGA chunks: Only the finest people; A matter of trust -- Musk's treason & corruption

djt continues to pick liars, and unqualified cranks, crackpots, and criminals ("only the finest people") to powerful positions in the federal government. Politico writes: "President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration long described himself in his official biography as being certified to fly aircraft commercially — but records examined by POLITICO show that he does not hold any commercial license. Bryan Bedford’s biography at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until Thursday that he “holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.” (By Friday, after POLITICO’s inquiries, the word “commercial” had been removed.) The FAA registry that houses data on pilot’s licenses does not list any such commercial credentials for Bedford."

The Daily Beast reports: "Trump Picks Far-Right Conspiracist as Government Watchdog -- Paul Ingrassia, currently the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, will be tasked with leading the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the independent agency that investigates and prosecutes wrongdoing within the executive branch, USA Today reported. .... Ingrassia is a far-right political commentator who has written for The Daily Caller and The Gateway Pundit. Following the 2020 election, Ingrassia called for Trump to declare martial law to stay in office and even called for secession if efforts to overturn the election failed, CNN reported. He also denounced several conservatives who opposed violent measures to keep Trump in power. .... After media host Sebastian Gorka rebuked calls for former Vice President Mike Pence to be arrested and executed by firing squad for not supporting attempts to overturn the 2020 election, Ingrassia called him “soft” on X in a post dated Jan. 2, 2021."

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Context regarding lack of trust: Although my criticisms of MAGA elites and some others is harsh, they are not grounded in mere irrational personal feelings or beliefs. I look in the public record for direct and indirect evidence of trustworthiness and lack thereof. Once trust is lost based on evidence in past actions, there is no basis for trust going forward. Instead, I shift the burden on to the untrusted people to show their good faith, innocence or lack of malice or corruption in things they did or were significantly or completely responsible for. Elon Musk is one of those who deserves no trust. In my firm opinion, only sufficient reliable evidence can exculpate him.

Musk's treason & corruption: In recent weeks, various sources have reported about an suspicious wireless communications installation on a building next to the White House complex, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It is separated from the White House by a narrow street. Musk installed it in Feb. 2025. The WiFi network is called "Starlink Guest", and access requires only a password instead of the standard username and two-factor authentication used by other government systems. Some reporting suggested that Russians might be accessing secret government information that was funneled to Starlink Guest through computer connections with DOGE. That smelled like potential treason and business corruption.

A Pxy, analysis, in-part:

Q2: Is there any update on this analysis since you first did it a week or two ago? Has Musk sent secret data to the Russians or used it for is own business purposes?

A2: Regarding the specific question about data transmission to Russia: While there is evidence of suspicious network activity from Russian IP addresses attempting to access DOGE accounts 10 11, and confirmed regular contact between Musk and Putin since 2022 7 9, there is no direct evidence publicly available showing that Musk successfully transmitted classified U.S. government data to Russian authorities.  

Grok AI Expansion Across Government: Musk's xAI chatbot Grok has been expanded across federal agencies despite lacking proper approvals, raising conflict-of-interest concerns 13. DOGE staff reportedly pushed Department of Homeland Security officials to use the AI tool for analyzing sensitive government data, potentially giving Musk's company access to valuable federal information while creating unfair competitive advantages over other AI providers 13.

Regarding business conflicts: There is substantial evidence that DOGE's operations have benefited Musk's business interests through regulatory rollbacks, investigation dismissals, and preferential treatment for his companies' technologies across federal agencies13 14 15.

The security risks identified in my original analysis have not only persisted but expanded, with new revelations about the scope of data access, foreign surveillance concerns, and systemic conflicts of interest throughout the federal government's relationship with Musk's business empire 7 16 14.

Once again, here we are, left with a decision to trust or not trust a MAGA elite. Based on the public facts and information so far, one can reasonably believe that Musk is both a traitor and is corrupt in his business dealings using information stolen from the US government. Proof that Musk did nothing wrong here will probably never become public. 

Q1: Is it rationally defensible, not necessarily persuasive, to believe that Musk is a traitor and corrupt businessman based on the evidence in the public record? 

Q2: Does Musk deserve the benefit of a doubt and if so, on what the basis of what evidence?