The Mad King’s Chaos and Confusion

Chaos and confusion. Tariffs on, then off, then on again. Formerly friendly trading partners appalled and angry. Everybody loses trade wars. The stock market falling. Prices in my local market rising. Uncertainty and complete lack of clarity about direction is apparent to Wall Street and Main Street.

Historically Republicans were opposed to tariffs but GOP Representatives and Senators continue to kiss the ring of the mad king. Under the National Emergencies Act, Congress has the power to end this so-called “emergency.” Congress needed to act on the resolution to end the false emergency within 15 days—so to dodge having to vote a bit of parliamentary trickery stops the clock until the end of the session.

Republican cowards, like lapdog Ben Cline, are enabling this authoritarian madness to continue. Trump inherited a strong economy that was the envy of the world. Less than two months in this presidency the economy is cratering… the administration says the economy is in “transition.” Transition to what… recession… or worse?

Protect Our National Forests

An executive order by President Trump directs the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to issue new guidance within the next 30 days to accelerate timber harvesting on federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), with the goal to “fully exploit our domestic timber supply.

Contact Representative Ben Cline to protest cuts of Forest Service employees and the executive order to decimate our national forests.

This executive order would end compliance with the Endangered Species Act, bypassing critical protections for Virginia’s most vulnerable animals and plants. There’s no way to increase timber production without targeting old-growth and mature forest stands that do the crucial work of providing habitat for wildlife, filtering municipal drinking water, providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildfire resilience, and absorbing and storing the carbon necessary to fight climate change. It’s also unclear how timber sales could be planned, administered, and implemented when the government has just fired thousands of Forest Service employees.

My family has enjoyed camping, hiking, exploring, canoeing in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. We have often explored and camped in other national forests while cross country traveling. My family drinks municipal water from the national forests.

Tell Ben Cline to protect our national forests.

Ben Cline’s five accomplishments last week

I emailed Rep Ben Cline (VA 06) to ask what five good things he’d done for the United States last week so that he could comply with the DOGE command. Knowing Cline wouldn’t respond, a helpful friend supplied the answers: “1) Called my most generous donors to find out what favors they’d like me to do for them. 2) Visited remote western towns in my district to explain to people how they will be better off when their local clinics close. 3) Drafted a bill to change the name of Shenandoah National Park to Harry Byrd NP. 4) Attended Jud Comm meeting to strategize ways to impeach woke radical leftist judges who are disloyal to our Dear Leader. 5) Invited teenaged DOGE techies to program office computers to auto-delete *** ****‘s emails.”

Convicted. Felon.

 

Convicted Felon Donald Trump

Donald Trump will be the first convicted felon in the White House. Nevertheless, the “rule of law” failed the U.S.A. No punishment for the felon. He skated on the January 6 treasonous insurrection case and on the theft and retention of classified documents case. Donald, Sam, and Clarence are conspirators. He will take office and commit more felonies under the shroud of dubious immunity. Trump’s pawns like Bobblehead Ben crow and pledge to support his every atrocity.

The big joke on democracy is 

that it gives its mortal enemies the means for its own destruction.

                                           ~Joseph Goebbels

Elon Punks Trump, Bobblehead Ben, and the American People

A big winner in the passage of the Continuing Resolution was Elon Musk because of the elimination of a provision limiting certain American investments in China. His devious plans for AI and other high tech investments in China will now go unchecked in spite of the astronomical security risks involved. His proximity to Trump gave him this billion dollar bonus in spite of Trump promises to crack down on China both for economic reasons and for national security.

Musk punked both Trump and the Congress and screwed the U.S.A. This is the beginning of a corrupt relationship between the autocratic twins. Are you okay with this corrupt cronyism Bobblehead Ben?

Bobblehead Bob and the Clown Caucus

House Speaker Mike Johnson just got punked by the incoming president and his chaos crony, Elon. Give Johnson some credit… he tried to keep the government’s Christmas lights on by working across the isle with a continuing resolution funding the government through early spring. He’d been juggling his clown caucus, which includes the Valley’s own Bobblehead Ben Cline.

Enter President Musk… oh I mean Trump… oh I’m not sure who I mean anymore. They tanked the bipartisan plan that Johnson had juggled over the past weeks and insisted on a new CR that included, among other atrocities, a demand for extending the debit limit. Perhaps this should give all of us pause that, in spite of musk’s and Ramaswamy’s DOGE, the incoming administration will run up the federal debt. Oh yes, the twin sons of different mothers, will try to cut programs that mean much to Shenandoah Valley residents… farm aid, Social Security, Medicare, etc… and call it savings, but their giveaways to the  top tier and their cronies will more than offset any savings. I predict the deficit/debt will soar!

What will The “budget hawk” Bobblehead Ben do? Nothing because when it comes time to stand on principle against Trump, Ben is a chicken hawk. 

Trump and the little devils sitting (shitting) on his shoulders have no plans for fiscal austerity or responsible governance. They offer only chaos, shutdowns, retribution. And Bobblehead Ben concurs. 

Be afraid, very afraid

Donald Trump spoke to the Turning Point Action Believers’ Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 26. During his speech Trump made his plans to become an authoritarian strongman clear to the extreme Christian nationalist group: “Get out and vote. Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what: it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians…. Get out, you’ve got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”

Holy crap… certainly sounds like Trump is promising a second term would be a Christian nationalist dictatorship where elections don’t matter and our representative democracy dies. What do you think Ben Cline? Are you okay consigning American constitutional democracy to the dust bin of history? But of course you are… you still think the 2020 election was stolen and celebrate the January 6 insurrectionists. Ben you are bobblehead who only knows how to genuflect to the dear leader of your bankrupt party. 

Bobblehead Ben and Ken Mitchell on healthcare

Bobblehead Ben Cline has repeatedly voted against improving healthcare measures that offer huge benefits for constituents. In 2019 he voted against covering preexisting conditions, sustaining the Health Insurance Exchange, and the ability of government to negotiate drug prices. In 2020 Bobblehead Ben continued voting against measures for improving healthcare opportunities for when he voted NO to fund adequate coverage in the ACA.

There is a better way! Ken Mitchell believes healthcare is a human right. Ken supports maintaining the Affordable Care Act, coverage for preexisting conditions, keeping children on parents’ insurance until age 26, no lifetime limit on coverage, and the ability of government to negotiate lower drug prices.

Voters in the 6th District of Virginia… there is a better way! Support Ken Mitchell this November.

Bobblehead Ben calls for President Biden to resign the office

Bobblehead Ben Cline, the inept guy representing the 6th District of Virginia, is marching in lockstep with the Speaker of the House by calling for Joe Biden to resign the presidency. Even Ben is smart enough to know that won’t happen (or perhaps he isn’t smart enough). It is partisan posturing because Trump and his cult were caught flat footed when Joe Biden ended his quest for the nomination and Republicans are in panic mode. There is absolutely zero evidence Biden cannot competently complete his term.

Hey Ben, how about asking Donald Trump to step down as the nominee of the Republican cult? After all, his performance at the convention is at best questionable… he occasionally appeared to be dozing and then gave a super long speech that, after a short nod to “unity,” veered off into deranged and frightening ramblings that were a mix the Big Lie and a scary American future if his platform, Project 2025, is enacted. The old guy ain’t right! 

While we’re at it, Ben why don’t you resign? After all, you regularly put party above county and constituents!

If you are a voter in Virginia's 6th Congressional District there is a much better choice than Bobblehead Ben. Ken Mitchell is running a positive and inclusive campaign. Meet Ken:

Ben Cline a hypocrite when he says he supports law enforcement

In his recent Sixth District Perspectives, Representative Ben Cline touted his support for National Police Week and stated that he wants “ to improve officer safety and help those who protect our communities.” Hum… what a crock of bullshit!  He saw nothing wrong with the January 6 insurrection when Donald Trump’s treasonous thugs stormed the United States Capitol, violently attacked police officers, and chanted hang Mike Pence. Wonder where Ben was hiding that day… probably shaking in fear behind a scummy mop in a janitor’s closet. He continues to support Trump’s “Unified Reich” where red ties have replaced the brownshirts of Adolph Hitler but the violent authoritarian filth remains. Yes, it is abundantly clear Bobblehead Ben supports the MAGA jackboots who care little for legitimate law enforcement officers who protect our communities and the rule of law.

The Sixth District of Virginia deserves so much better than the not-so-smart loser Ben Cline. Check out Ken Mitchell. He served over two decades in the military and in the White House under both parties. Ken will get things done in a bipartisan spirit, unlike the hyper-partisan and unimaginative Bobblehead Ben Cline.

Cline the Appeaser

Bobblehead Ben Cline, again mis-representing the best interests of the 6th District of Virginia and the United States, joined the pro-Putin appeasers in the House of Representatives by voting against aid for Ukraine. If you can judge a man by the company he keeps, then Ben is wallowing the crazed right wing ignorance along with Bob Good, MTG, Chip Roy, and others of the so called “Freedom Caucus.” Most members of that “esteemed” cabal failed freedom by siding with the Russian dictator’s aggression. 

Fortunately there is an alternative this November… Ken Mitchell of Rockinghsm County is running for Congress. Mitchell has 24 years of military service and has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He understands the threat that Putin and other authoritarian thugs present to democratic nations and world peace… something Bobblehead Ben repeatedly fails to comprehend as he is lead by the isolationist wing of the GOP. Check out Ken at his website and at this article in The Winchester Star. 

Bobblehead Ben Endorses Twice-Impeached Criminal

It came as no surprise that Bobblehead Ben endorsed the twice-impeached, many times indicted Donald John Trump for president. The Bobblehead, who supported all attempts… legal court challenges and the violent and illegal insurrection… was delusional in citing tRump’s “global leadership” and great economy as reasons for the endorsement. Guess Bobblehead is okay with the Trump organization receiving at least $7.8 million from nearly two dozen foreign government with the biggest chunks coming from authoritarian China. Bobblehead Ben is apparently sipping Kool-Aid… or bleach!

This endorsement comes at the same time that the former president’s lawyers argued for complete immunity for anything he did during his miserable term of office. Reminds me of President Nixon’s famous statement that “when the president does it, that means it is not illegal, by definition.” Laughable then and highly unlikely the appellate court will uphold anything close to that absurd argument. But, I imagine Bobblehead Ben buys this hook, line, and sinker. Dumb cluck.