Firing Line With Margaret Hoover: Maya MacGuineas & Robert Reich

Posted on July 6, 2023 by kireschneider

Firing Line With Margaret Hoover_ Maya MacGuineas & Robert ReichSource:Firing Line With Margaret Hoover– left to right: Margaret Hoover, Maya MacGuineas, and Robert Reich.

“Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and federal budget expert Maya MacGuineas discuss America’s staggering national debt and what should be done about it.”

From Firing Line With Margaret Hoover

“The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial,[1][2][3][4][5] free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia.[6][7][8][9] PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational programs to public television stations in the United States,[10][11][12][13] distributing shows such as Frontline, Nova, PBS NewsHour, Arthur, Sesame Street, and This Old House.[14]

PBS is funded by a combination of member station dues, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, pledge drives, and donations from both private foundations and individual citizens. All proposed funding for programming is subject to a set of standards to ensure the program is free of influence from the funding source.[15] PBS has over 350 member television stations, many owned by educational institutions, nonprofit groups both independent or affiliated with one particular local public school district or collegiate educational institution, or entities owned by or related to state government.[4]

As of 2020, PBS has nearly 350 member stations around the United States.”

From Wikipedia

A few interesting points here:

Maya MacGuineas (whose a real life fiscal Conservative, which is rare in Washington and perhaps in America as well) and left-wing economist Robert Reich (who I describe as a Democratic Socialist) agreeing that when the national debt and budget deficit, grows faster than the economy, (meaning economic growth) that is bad for the economy and the country as a whole.

Another interesting point being what Robert Reich said that it doesn’t natter how much you borrow, just as long as that government borrowing is used for promote economic growth. And he said those government investments being things like infrastructure, job training, education, all things that I support, but I would disagree that you should borrow the money to pay for those investments.

The other interesting point being that there’s no set number as far as how large the national debt and deficit needs to be, even as a percentage of the economy. But with Maya MacGuineas with the great counterpoint being that we don’t want to find out what that number is before out economy crashes because the American dollar is not worth anything and no one, including the U.S. Government can pay any of their bills.

My point for the Robert Reich’s of the world: if deficits and debt doesn’t matter (which is not what Reich said) then you don’t need taxes. for anything that government actually does. Reich said in this interview that there is actually a limit to how much the U.S. Government can borrow before it’s too much. But then he said that now is the time for more government borrowing, because the interest rates are now, which just begs a certain question and answer.

Why are our interest rates so low? Because the Federal Reserve up until last year, kept them low. But then they started raising them last year to deal with high inflation and high borrowing, to deal with the rising national debt and deficit Part of President Biden’s and the last Congress’s social welfare package from last summer, was to deal with the national debt and deficit, the so-called Deficit Reduction Act.

Anyone who pays taxes and pays their own bills in general, knows that inflation, as well as the debt and deficit, have been major issues in the American economy the last two years. And the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 deals with inflation, as well as the national debt and deficit.

Again, if deficit and debt doesn’t matter, then government, including the U.S. Government doesn’t need taxes for anything, because it now has unlimited borrowing authority. And no serious economist actually believes that even the Uncle Sam’s government, has unlimited borrowing authority.

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CNN: ‘Former Donald Trump Supporter Says She Was ‘Brainwashed’

Posted on July 6, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Former Trump supporter says she was 'brainwashed'Source:CNN– interviewing former Donald Trump supporter & 2021 insurrectionist Pam Hemphill.

Source:The New Democrat

“Pam Hemphill, who received a two-month sentence in federal prison for her involvement in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, tells CNN’s Gary Tuchman she was “brainwashed.”

From CNN

A lot of Democrats, perhaps especially partisan Democrats, talk about Donald Trump’s supporters as if they are cult members and Donald Trump is their cult leader, their hero, their idle, etc, as someone whose never wrong or guilty about anything. A man who can do no wrong and is always right, there’s always a good reason for why whose doing anything and justification for him doing that. And to be frank, I’ve done that myself and still do that because there are a lot of Donald Trump’s supporters who talk and act like they are part of his national political cult known as Trumpism.

But we’re are all obviously human beings who are free to make mistakes and then to learn from them and try to correct our past mistakes and not repeat them. But sometimes it’s that really big mistake, that really cost us, like our freedom and perhaps costs our family and friends as well, that gets people to (to be frank) wake up and smell the coffee, get that kick in the ass (again, to be frank) that gets our attention.

I obviously don’t know Pam Hemphill personally, just hearing about her and her story today. But perhaps it was a few months in a Federal prison, as well as Donald Trump calling for the Jan 6, 2021 insurrectionists to be pardoned, that finally woke her up to everything that she lost in the last 2 years, partially because of Donald Trump, but also because of her actions on that horrible January day in Washington.

I’m not a psychologist, not an astronaut either, (in case there’s any doubt left about that) I’m obviously not an expert on what’s called brainwash and brainwashing. But unless someone is actually on drugs that changes their behavior, similar to let’s say the Manson Crime Family from the late 1960s, or The People’s Temple that was led by Jim Jones in the 1970s, I don’t believe in brainwashing.

We’re all human beings with the ability to act and think for ourselves, unless we’re suffering from some type of brain damage or something. Pam Hemphill by most accounts is an intelligent and educated person. She was those things pre-Donald Trump. She went to prison for her role in the 2021 insurrection and now is apparently very ashamed of what she did.

Donald Trump obviously had a major role in Jan. 6 as well and I would argue the biggest role. But if any of his co-defendants were brainwashed for their actions on that horrible day, they could probably plea not guilty by reason of insanity, which is a legitimate defense, if the defendant or defendants can prove they were mentally incompetent or insane at the time of their crimes. But you can’t plead not guilty by reason of stupidity. All these Jan. 6, 2021 insurrectionists are personal responsible for their own actions and crimes on that horrible day, including Pam Hemphill.

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Vanity Fair: Donald Liebenson: ‘Courtney Thorne-Smith Loved Being Roasted by Norm’

Posted on July 5, 2023 by kireschneider

Vanity Fair_ Courtney Thorne-Smith Loved Being Roasted by Norm Macdonald - Google SearchSource:Vanity Fair– Late Night With Norm McDonald & Courtney Thorne Smith.

Source:The New Democrat

“It feels impossible to choose a favorite Norm Macdonald clip. The caustically deadpan comedian, who died Tuesday at the age of 61, had quite a canon: his epic telling of the “moth joke” on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien; his baffling set at the Comedy Central roast of Bob Saget (and his comeback to Jim Norton, who told Macdonald that watching his set was like watching Henry Fonda pick blueberries); and his recurring Weekend Update references to, you guessed it, Frank Stallone.

But the ultimate Macdonald performance just may be his May 15, 1997, Late Night With Conan O’Brien appearance opposite fellow guest Courtney Thorne-Smith. It’s a segment that belongs in the talk show pantheon along with Ed Ames and his tomahawk. A YouTube clip has generated nearly half a million views.”

From Vanity Fair

“(Original airdate: 05/15/97) Courtney Thorne-Smith and Norm Macdonald talk about her leaving “Melrose Place” and working with Carrot Top on “Chairman of the Board.”

Norm Macdonald & Courtney Thorne-Smith _ Late Night with Conan O’Brien - Google SearchSource:Conan O’Brien– Late Night With Norm MacDonald & Courtney Thorne Smith.

From Conan O’Brien

This is sort of a follow up piece that I wrote on at The New Democrat  about this appearance that comedians Norm MacDonald and Courtney Thorne Smith had on Late Night With Conan O’Brien. But I’m giving you additional images and another look at the video.

Courtney T. Smith was obviously one of the big stars from FOX’s hit prime-time soap opera Melrose Place, from the 1990s. She at this point was on all 6 seasons and was looking to move on from that role, as she told Conan in this interview and was looking to get into movies.

I guess Chairman of The Board, was the only film that Courtney T. could get at that point and took it like a fish that had been out of the water for 3 weeks and jumped back in the lake. (Was Melrose Place really bad enough to give up for Chairman of the Board?)

Well, you know what they say about hindsight. But Norm MacDonald with perhaps better foresight than Courtney, knew that this at least sounded like a pretty bad film, to the point that it even had the wrong title and called it Chairman of The Bored, during this interview.

This was a pretty bad interview before Norm jumped in, because Courtney and Conan were stuck trying to talk about this film and her time on Melrose and why she was leaving. But then Norm jumps in and saves the interview (as they say) that you can see for yourself right here.

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CNN: ‘Lindsey Graham Booed At Donald Trump Rally in His Home State’

Posted on July 5, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Lindsey Graham booed at Trump rally in his home stateSource:CNN– U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina) never the most popular person in his own room, let alone state.

Source:The New Democrat

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was booed during his remarks at a Trump rally in Pickens, South Carolina.”

From CNN

Lindsey Graham reminds me of a the guy in high school (if your memory goes back that far) whose the wannabe hipster. Not quite part of the hipster clique in school, but just on the outside looking in hoping that one day he’ll be part of that elite clique in school. Doesn’t get invited to the parties, but perhaps crashes them and perhaps even allowed to stay. Lindsey Graham is the American political version of the high school wannabe.

You could say that Lindsey is the perfect example of why Americans say they hate politics and politicians, (even though they keep electing and reelecting the same politicians over and over) because he seems to do whatever he thinks he needs to do at any given moment, to help or save himself politically.

When George W. Bush was President in the 2000s, Lindsey was the hardcore Neoconservative, who would could camp out for days like Millennials waiting for the opportunity to buy the latest smartphone, but Lindsey would be waiting for an opportunity to kiss President Bush on the face, because at that point, the President was very popular in the Republican Party. (But perhaps nowhere else)

When the Neoconservatives go out-of-style in the Republican Party in the mid-2010s and the Christian Nationalists come in, all the sudden Lindsey is now a cultural warrior, who’ll do everything that he can to preserve what they call traditional America, including getting line to kiss Donald Trump’s (who goes against everything that Christian Nationalists claim to be in favor of, at least in his own personal life) face and act like they’re now best friends. Even though when Lindsey was running for President in 2016, he said that The Donald would be bad for America as President.

My point is, South Carolina, which just happens to be Lindsey Graham’s home state, a place where Lindsey can sound and act as down home and the biggest good ole boy in the history of the world, (or at least in South Carolina) a place that Lindsey has represented in Congress since 1995. sees right through him. They know he’s not really one of the them, but the ultimate wannabe, outsider, looking in, hoping to be part of their clique, if he thinks that would help him politically. That’s how you get booed at your own political rally, in your own state.

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CNN: ‘SCOTUS Blocks Biden’s Student Loan Plan & Limits LGBTQ Protections in Major Rulings’

Posted on June 30, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

SCOTUS blocks Biden's student loan plan and limits LGBTQ protections in major rulings (2023) - Google SearchSource:CNN– at the U.S. Supreme Court.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

“The Supreme Court issued two monumental 6-3 decisions on the final day of its current term. The conservative court blocked President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program and limited LGBTQ protections in a separate Colorado case.
Biden slammed the court’s decision to reject his plan to deliver up to $20,000 in relief to millions of borrowers, calling it “unthinkable.” Click here for more on what the ruling means for borrowers.
Biden will deliver remarks at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday’s student loan decision and is expected to announce new actions to protect borrowers, a source told CNN.
In the another decision, the justices ruled in favor of a Christian web designer in Colorado, who refused to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections. The ruling — rooted in free speech grounds — represents the latest victory for religious conservatives at the high court.”

From CNN

“CNN senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic provides details from the room as the Justices read their decision on the Biden administration’s student loan debt forgiveness plan.”

CNN was inside the Supreme Court as student loan decision was read (2023) - Google SearchSource:CNN– at the U.S. Supreme Court.

From CNN

Before I tell you what I think of the student loans decision from SCOTUS, I’m going to give you a couple of ways that people could look at it.

If you look at SCOTUS decisions as a hyper-partisan, especially when it comes to executive orders, to cut to the chase (to put it cleanly) you would probably say something like: “It’s perfectly legal and constitutional when our side does it. But when the other side does it, it’s completely illegal and unconstitutional and the President should be impeached for that.”

To give you an example of that from the Democratic Party: when President Donald Trump back in 2018-19, tried to appropriate money by himself and go around Congress on that, even though Congress (House & Senate has the sole authority or appropriate under the U.S. Constitution) Democrats, especially partisan Democrats, called that illegal and unconstitutional. And of course they’re right about that. But Republicans said that President Trump had the authority to do that under some made up emergency power of the President.

To give you a Republican example: when President Joe Biden tried to unilaterally wipe out student debt and just write it off the Federal Government’s book and declare that all these Americans who are buried in government student loans, no longer have to pay any of that back, Republicans said that was illegal and unconstitutional and perhaps some Republicans not just Representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie T. Greene, we’re calling for President Biden’s impeachment on that. While Democrats said that of course President Biden has the constitutional authority to legislate from The White House on this.

I mean if you are an Independent today or even just an Independent Democrat or Republican whose a member of one party, perhaps simply because you dislike the other party a little more, it’s easy to see why Americans hate politicians and politics today, even if they overwhelmingly reelect their own U.S. Representative over and over again.

There’s just too much partisan, political, garbage (to be kind) for any honest American to try to have to put up with. Washington already gets too much hot air from its own summers, because of all the heat and humidity it gets. But add Washington politicians to the environment and it makes breathing in Washington a luxury for too many Washingtonians.

As far as student loan forgiveness or what I prefer to call college affordability: there’s a New York Times (of all newspapers) opinion piece from 2016 called: “Why Free College is Not Free” I only mention that to state the obvious.

There are very good reasons why a good, 4 year college education, can cost the average American 150,000 dollars, for four years. What you can learn from college (if you bother to pay attention and can put your phone down long enough and stay out of off the coffee house long enough) lasts and benefits you for a lifetime. You can get the skills and knowledge that you need there to put yourself in position to never have to worry about finding a good job and earning a good living in America. Of course that shouldn’t be free, because it takes so much money to teach and train all those young Americans.

President Biden would be smart to take this SCOTUS decision and use it as a very good lesson. You want to make college affordable for every American, regardless of their income level, their parents income level, their race, ethnicity, gender, etc, you have to work with Congress on that.

President Biden could start with the Senate when it comes to things like personal college accounts, that people could set up for their kids the day that their kid is born, that could be matched by their employer and perhaps even the Federal Government and make those accounts free for low-income parents. And then see if you can find some reasonable Republicans in the House and try to work with them on this issue as well. But only Congress can legislate, not the President, it’s in the Constitution.

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CNN: ‘Supreme Court Guts Affirmative Action in College Admissions’

Posted on June 29, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Supreme Court guts affirmative action in college admissions (2023) - Google SearchSource:CNN– welcome to the United States Supreme Court.

You can also see this post on Blogger.

“The Supreme Court ruled colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a specific basis in admissions — a landmark decision that overturns long-standing precedent that has benefited Black and Latino students in higher education.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the conservative majority, said Harvard and University of North Carolina admissions programs violated the Equal Protection Clause because they failed to offer “measurable” objectives to justify the use of race.
The opinion claims the court was not expressly overturning prior cases authorizing race-based affirmative action, and suggested that how race has affected an applicant’s life can still be part of how their application is considered. Liberal justices slammed the opinion in their dissent, saying the decision will make it practically impossible for colleges and universities to take race into account.”

From CNN

“CNN senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic was in the room as the highest court in the land delivered their landmark decision on affirmative action. Biskupic details the atmosphere of the courtroom.”

Hear what happened inside the Supreme Court after historic rulingSource:CNN– this is the United States Supreme Court.

From CNN

If the Equal Protection Clause, equality, equal justice, equal rights, if every American regardless of racial, ethnic, gender, has the same individual rights and responsibilities as everyone else, then affirmative action had to be thrown out, because it violates all of those great, American, liberal values, that most Americans believe in, but too many of take for granted.

I understand the importance of building a society where everyone can succeed. Not only do I understand that, but I actually believe in that as a Liberal. (Meaning real Liberal) But you don’t create that free society for everybody by denying people access in America, like with education, simply because too many members of their race or ethnicity, are already doing well in America.

What a lot of supporters of so-called affirmative action laws have never understood, is that affirmative action just doesn’t hurt European-Americans, especially European-American men, (which affirmative action supporters don’t seem to have a problem with) but it hurts Asian-Americans as well, it hurts Latino-Americans who are primarily of Spanish or other European descent, it hurts Middle Eastern-Americans, it hurts Jewish-Americans. Why? Because these folks are already doing well in America and aren’t from the right racial or ethnic background, according to supporters of affirmative action.

Again, if you want that free society where everyone can make it in America, you don’t do that penalizing Americans who are already doing well, especially because of their race, ethnicity, or gender. But instead create a society where everyone has a quality opportunity, regardless of where they’re from, the income level of their parents, or their race, ethnicity, or gender.

To create that free society for every American,  that gets to things like education where every American is entitled to a quality education, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender, again the income level of their parents.

As well as empowering low-skilled, low-income adults, who were denied access to a good education growing, either because of mistakes that they made growing up, or mistakes that their parents made, or the fact that they came from a low-income community and empower them to finish and further their education, so they can make it in America as well.

You don’t create that American free society by saying that since these groups were discriminated in the past and in African-Americans, case were kidnapped and forced to come to America as slaves, what we’re going to do now to try to correct that, is punish Americans who are already doing well, including Asian-Americans, but Spanish-Latinos, Middle Eastern-Americans, and Jewish-Americans, so more African-Americans can get a good education and a good job, even if they’re not academically and financially ready to do well in college.

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CNN: ‘Kevin McCarthy Does Damage Control After Questioning Donald Trump’s Political Strength’

Posted on June 28, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

The New Democrat_ CNN_ 'Kevin McCarthy Does Damage Control After Questioning Donald Trump’s Political Strength'Source:CNN– left to right: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy & former President Donald J. Trump.

“Speaker Kevin McCarthy has scrambled to contain the fallout after he questioned whether former President Donald Trump is the strongest candidate in the 2024 presidential race – comments that outraged Trump allies.”

From CNN

I guess there are two Kevin McCarthy’s. One of them sort of sounds like he’s on truth serum and the next time he ever lies, he’ll go to prison for the rest of his life. Perhaps he just graduated from Liars Anonymous. Which is an organization that might be able to do Donald Trump some good. And the other Kevin McCarthy, sounds like he gets in line to pay Donald Trump a 1000 bucks everyday (money that Trump might actually need) to get on his feet and kiss The Donald’s feet (to be clean) everyday and wouldn’t do anything that perhaps would even risk offending Donald Trump.

The real Kevin McCarthy, is a guy who has a tendency to shoot his mouth off. And in Washington speak, that means speaking the truth, or at least being honest. The bad Kevin McCarthy, is a guy that would deny that it’s hot in Arizona on a July day in Phoenix, if he thought it would help him politically. He would claim that he could jump into a lake and not get wet, if he thought he needed to that to help him politically. He would claim that Donald Trump is actually Jesus Christ, if he thought he needed to do that to save him politically.

The real Kevin McCarthy, did a solid impersonation of Captain Obvious yesterday. He was asked by NBC News whether Donald Trump, after the indictment and the new tape that was released about him, where Trump admits that he has illegally obtained classified information in his private possession, if Donald Trump based on all of that, is still the strongest Republican presidential candidate in a general election in 2024. And Speaker McCarthy said perhaps not.

McCarthy didn’t tell NBC News that Donald Trump is definitely not the best Republican presidential candidate, or of course not, don’t be silly, etc, of course Trump would lose to Joe Biden. He just said that Trump might not be the strongest Republican candidate in a general election right now. Which is what got him into trouble with the Far-Right of his own party yesterday.

Bad Kevin McCarthy, at around 4PM yesterday, told Breitbart News (which is basically the state newspaper of MAGA) did a clean up on isle seven (and in Washington speak, that means taking back any negative facts and candor that you might have been caught expressing) basically said that of course Donald Trump is the best Republican presidential candidate right now.

Part of me understands Kevin McCarthy’s dilemma right now. He isn’t just Speaker of the 435 member House of Representatives, but leader of a 222 member Republican conference, where maybe half of those members aren’t real Republicans anyway, at least not ideologically. But instead members of a national political cult known as MAGA, who are all looking to be the next Donald Trump, the next great, authoritarian leader of the West.

But the other part of me, the more direct, honest, and candid, a lot less diplomatic, part says that no one kidnapped Kevin McCarthy (that anyone knows about) and forced McCarthy to first become House Minority Leader in 2019 and then Speaker of the House 4 years later. McCarthy isn’t as braindead as he might appear. He knows exactly the people that he has to try to lead and knows that maybe 1/2 of them don’t belong in government at all, expect that they were elected to the House of Representatives, because they won right-wing gerrymandered House districts.

McCarthy could always go home and get a real job in Washington and make a lot more money actually working for a living and not feel the need to sell his credibility, legacy, and sole to the Devil (also known as Donald Trump) every time that he speaks about the former President.

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Poppy Harlow & Phil Mattingly: Hear How Donald Trump Tried To Spin Classified Docs in Interview Before Audio Leak

Posted on June 27, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Hear how Trump tried to spin classified docs in interview before audio leakSource:CNN– former President Donald J. Trump, learning what a real interview from FOX News anchor Brett Baier, is like.

“CNN exclusively obtained the audio recording of the 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where former President Donald Trump discusses holding secret documents he did not declassify. The audio appears to contradict a Fox News interview he gave on June 19, in which he denied being in possession of a classified document that discusses Iran.”

From CNN

“Donald Trump admitted that he did not win the 2020 presidential election in an interview with a panel of historians in 2021. The ex-president also said Iran, China and South Korea were happy Biden won, adding that ‘the election was rigged and lost’.

Referring to his attempts to make South Korea pay more for US military assistance, Trump said Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, was among the ‘happiest’ world leaders after he lost the 2020 US election. Trump said they were on the brink of making a deal for South Korea to contribute $5bn annually to that bill.

'I didn't win the election'_ Donald Trump discusses 2020 loss in interview with historiansSource:The Guardian– former President Donald J. Trump (Republican, Florida)

From The Guardian

“Former President Donald Trump delivered his first remarks since he was charged with 34 felony counts, and mentioned “all we needed was 16.9 [points]” in the 2020 election, Chuck Todd points out. “I went, ‘whoa, Donald Trump is admitting he didn’t win the election.'”

Chuck Todd_ Did Donald Trump just admit he didn't win the election_ (2023) - Google SearchSource:NBC News– former President Donald J. Trump (Republican, Florida)

From NBC News

I think most people who don’t live in MAGA world (meaning everyone whose not confined to a mental institution, or a member of a political cult right now) has always known, or at least highly suspected, that Donald J. Trump has never taken. national security information very seriously, at least in the sense of treating like the value government, national security property that it is, that needs to be protected and kept away from anyone who doesn’t have a national security clearance. Like a former President of the United States, political advisers who aren’t currently working for the U.S Government, members of the media, etc.

President Trump’s own National Security Adviser John Bolton (no left-winger or Democrat) has already said that the only time that President Trump was never interested in national security intelligence, unless it was something that could benefit him politically, or something that he could use to hurt his political opponents.

But with this tape that CNN obtained, (perhaps now CNN is no longer unwatchable) we now know that is the truth and that Donald Trump saw the papers and information that he received as President, as if it was his own personal property. Like his golf clubs or something and not the classified, national security, information that it is, where you have to have a U.S. national security clearance, just to be near it, let alone be able to see it. And being one of Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters, doesn’t count as a U.S. national security clearance.

We learned something very valuable about Donald J. Trump, not just last night, but in the last few months: he knows that he’s no longer President of the United States. He also knows that he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. And he can say it was rigged all he wants, but all those Republican legislatures, governor’s, and secretary of state’s, all disagree with him. All those folks also voted for him in 2016 and 2020 as well.

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Dan August: When The Shouting Dies (1970) With Vera Miles

Posted on June 26, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Dan August_ 'When The Shouting Dies (1970) With Vera MilesSource:IMDB– Hollywood Goddess Vera Miles, as usual with a memorable performance.

Source:The New Democrat

“A beautiful blackmailer dies in a fall from an apartment balcony, and the prime suspect is Dan’s old friend, Heap Canfield.

Best episode of the ones seen so far, WHEN THE SHOUTING DIES has Burt Reynolds’ titular Dan August once again having to investigate yet another old friend for possible murder, only this time he and the guy have some chemistry, that being his future SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT pursuer Mike Henry (who’d play Jackie Gleason’s dimwit son): he’s a former football buddy and star on his own, owner of a restaurant and blamed for throwing a woman out a window, which opens the show with her getting beaten as jazzy game show-type music plays… other guests include Victor French, Geoffrey Lewis and Burt actually mentions the actor Jon Voight, his soon-to-be DELIVERANCE co-star… This episode has the same device of going from place to place with questions only the questions and answers are intriguing, and Burt comes out of his monotone this time… just a little more than usual.”

From IMDB

If you like crime TV and fictional, Hollywood, crime shows, I think you’ll really like this episode of Dan August and perhaps the rest of this series from 1970. It was only one season on ABC, but there’s enough good TV and excellent supporting actors, as well as having Burt Reynolds, (yes, that Burt Reynolds) Norman Fell, and Richard Anderson, as the lead actors and a whole host of excellent supporting actors and guest stars, that I think you’ll like this series, especially the When The Shouting Dies episode with Vera Miles and Mike Henry.

Mike Henry plays a former high school football star in this fictional, Southern California town of Santa Luisa, that’s near Santa Barbara and Oxnard, who never quite made it in pro football (as they say) and instead is a local businessman, who seems to be loaded financially. But what most of the people in this town don’t know, he’s actually broke. It’s his wealthy wife Carla (played by the gorgeous and adorable Vera Miles) who owns these businesses and his company, it’s just in Heap Canfield’s (played by Mike Henry) name.

Heap Canfield is basically an 18 or 19 year old mentally and personally, in the body of a 34-35 football player. He cheats on his wife Carla but she knows and doesn’t care. She doesn’t respect him and just sees him as a boy toy that she uses to pleasure him. But Heap’s latest affair with a young woman named Jenny Bowman (played by Donna Garrett) goes too far. She has blackmail on him and threatens to expose him as the immature, loser that he actually is. Heap can’t handle that and beats her to death, actually she gets thrown out of her own apartment. (So to speak) The question is did Heap intentionally throw her out the window, was it unintentional, or did she accidentally fall out the window.

Santa Luisa Police Detective Lieutenant Dan August (played by Burt Reynolds, yes that Burt Reynolds) just happens to be Heap Canfield’s old friend and football teammate from high school. August’s whole unit, including his partner Sergeant Charlie Wilentz (played by Norman Fell) and perhaps the whole police department, including the Chief (played by Richard Anderson) believes that Heap is guilty. Motive, means, opportunity, no alibi, he had the time to pull off the murder and get away with it. But Dan August knows that Heap is not a murderer. (At least not normally) And he’s really just a big, teddy bear of a guy, who wouldn’t intentionally hurt anybody.

I love this episode for all the reasons that I just laid out. But most importantly because of Vera Miles. But 1970, she’s in her early 40s (if I have her bio right) and no longer ,making movies for the most part and instead making a lot of important and starring guest appearances on fictional crime shows, like Dan August, 3 appearances on Cannon in the early and mid 1970s, Hawaii 50 in 1973, Barnaby Jones in 1977.

Vera had a tendency to play women who were a lot tougher and sharper than they appeared. And in Dan August, she plays a gorgeous and yet pussycat looking sweetheart, who happens to also be very wicked, who knows what she wants and how to maintain it, which is Heap Canfield, her boy toy husband and gives a great performance.

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Sundance: Indefensible: Casey Anthony (2022)

Posted on June 23, 2023 by FredSchneiderUS

Sundance_ Indefensible_ Casey Anthony (2022)Source:Sundance Indefensible Casey Anthony.

Source:The New Democrat

“Jena Friedman travels America to unspool real cases on the ground, but unlike most true crime shows, this one doesn’t end when the criminal gets locked up. Jena finds there’s always more to the story and drives to a different outcome beyond the simple whodunnit. Using her unflinching comedic point of view and disarming interview skills, Jena uncovers the “why” and “how” not only of crimes themselves, but of our sometimes dysfunctional criminal justice system.”

From Sundance

I’m sure I heard about the Casey Anthony story breaking (if you want to put it that way) back in 2008, (I wasn’t vacationing in Afghanistan or some place) but it’s only in the last few years when I’ve been blogging anything about true crime, that I’ve following this case and looking into it myself. So no, I’m not an expert on it, I’m not a lawyer, not a detective, not even a true crime reporter, but I can give you what I know about the case and what I think about it, from what I’ve seen about it.

Just looking at it from the outside, I think Casey Anthony is guilty of something horrible here, in the death of her daughter Caylee. And it looks like her parents and brother believe that as well. And it might just be she knows what happened to her daughter, but is protecting the person whose actually responsible for the death of her daughter. Which is bad enough, but that alone doesn’t make you a murderer.

My own theory is that that the baby died accidentally, Casey freaked out about that and instead of acting like a mature, responsible, adult (which she’s never been) she freaked out and decided to try to cover it up, even though she didn’t personally murder her baby, but perhaps didn’t want to be blamed for the murder of her baby.

I believe that Casey is responsible for the accidental death or saw her daughter die, perhaps found her dead, but doesn’t know how she died, because there’s no absolutely convincing evidence that she murdered her daughter. Just a lot and I mean a truck load (to be clean) of and perhaps just as much circumstantial evidence to suggest that O.J. Simpson murder Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, just 14 years earlier in 1994.

Then you just look at how Casey was acting after the baby died like she was almost relieved by it and partying heavily like her social life just returned, because she no longer has a baby to take care of. The fact that Casey waited 20 days to report her daughter missing, or the trunk of her car smelling like a dead body, motive, means, opportunity, etc.

As far as the Casey Anthony trial: again, I’m not a lawyer, but to not just go for murder 1, but for the death penalty, I know this is Florida, but it’s always useful to live in the real world and when you can’t prove 1st degree murder, I think the death penalty is the last thing you should be looking at. I think the prosecution lost this case just based on the punishment that they were seeking. And that might be why the jury acquitted her and nothing else. I think if the prosecution goes for manslaughter and child endangerment or just child endangerment, Casey Anthony is probably still be in prison today.

As I said, I think Casey Anthony at the very least knows what happened to her daughter, but doesn’t want to give the person up, like herself, if she’s actually responsible here. But we may never know, unless Casey comes clean, how her daughter died on that horrible day in 2008.

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