Do you know where Paul Gosar is? Is "running away" a place?

From The Daily Beast -

GOP Reps Abandon Disastrous Presser on Jan. 6 Hearing

Members of the so-called sedition caucus, the moniker given to Republican lawmakers who have refused to acknowledge the truth of what happened on Jan. 6, were chased out of their own press conference on Tuesday by a man blowing a whistle and a protester holding a “RAPIST” sign. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is under federal investigation for sex trafficking, appeared alongside other proponents of the “Big Lie” like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Paul Gosar (AZ), and Louie Gohmert (TX) to complain about the Jan. 6 hearing that was underway in the House on Tuesday morning.

But protesters quickly swamped the event, including one holding up a sign behind the podium that read “TRAITORS + RAPISTS: SIT DOWN.” An aide confronted a man who was repeatedly blowing a whistle and asked him, “Are you trying to assault people with auditory weapons?” before eventually shutting down the presser while yelling “the left shut us down.” Gaetz and Greene had to be whisked away by security while a woman repeatedly yelled, “Are you a pedophile?” at Gaetz.

For what it's worth, the press conference that Gosar ran away from is NOT the first time that Gosar has associated with folks of questionable integrity.

Pastor calls Covid stuff "nonsense" and doesn't want folks to believe it. He may have other nonsense for folks to believe.

I am *so* going to get flak for this one.

So be it.

From Yahoo! News -

Evangelical pastor demands churchgoers ditch their masks: 'Don't believe this delta variant nonsense'

Since the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, Greg Locke, the pastor at a Nashville-area church, has repeatedly called covid a hoax, undermined emergency mandates and refused to comply with guidance from public health officials.

This week, Locke took his defiance a step further, making a sharp warning regarding mask-wearing.

If "you start showing up [with] all these masks and all this nonsense, I will ask you to leave,"

Locke, 45, told scores of Global Vision Bible Church parishioners during his sermon on Sunday

His statement was followed by cheers and applause.

From Johns Hopkins U -

Guess those 12K+ dead people are just lying about being dead.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.

Members of the public are dying, so the GOP sees a justification for helping...themselves to public money.

 From NPR -

A Group Of Michigan Lawmakers Used Coronavirus Relief Funds For $65,000 In Bonuses

Lawmakers in a Michigan county are vowing to return $65,000 in bonuses they gave themselves using federal coronavirus relief funds.

During a July 15 public meeting, the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners voted to approve "hazard pay" for elected officials and county employees who worked through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

[snip]

According to the Associated Press, the board of commissioners gave $557,000 in hazard pay to 250 county employees, including $65,000 that went to the seven county commissioners, all of whom are Republicans. 

Of course.

In GOPworld, men harassing women is OK; arming and training them like men, not so much.

Of course, I could have gone with "aiding and abetting a crime is an expression of party loyalty; holding someone accountable for their acts is an expression of party disloyalty."

Explains the fealty to Cheeto.

From AP-

Far right tugs at North Dakota Republican Party

An effort to recall a Republican legislator largely over his vote to

 

expel a fellow GOP lawmaker accused of sexually harassing

 

women at the state Capitol is being viewed as a litmus test for

 

party loyalty, the state GOP ’s new chairman said.

The move to recall Rep. Dwight Kiefert over his vote to oust former

 

Rep. Luke Simons has fanned the flames of an intraparty fight

 

that has a far-right faction seeking to control the party

 

apparatus and replace Republicans they see as too moderate.

Yet...

From Roll Call -

Conservatives riled up over registering women for draft

Conservatives are expressing outrage about a pending Senate defense policy bill that would require women to register for the draft, and two defense hawks opposed the measure in the Armed Services Committee over the issue.

The Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act, which the committee approved on July 21, contains an amendment by the panel’s chairman, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, that would require women to sign up with Selective Service, just as men do between the ages of 18 and 25. If enacted, women could be drafted into military service in the event of a national emergency, though there is no prospect of that on the horizon, and no American has been drafted in nearly half a century.

Nice two step there.

The Senate Armed Service summary of the NDAA is here.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse speak in Phoenix

In lore they are known as War, Famine, Pestilence and Death, but in Arizona they are known as Lesko, Gosar, Biggs, and Trump.

In CSPAN's video they spoke consecutively at Saturday's event in Phoenix, with Lesko leading off at the 2:04.23 mark.(the video itself is over 5 1/2 hours long, so eliminating the first couple of hours is a good thing. :)

Oh, the sacrifices I make for readers; the time spent doing this is time I will never get back. :) :)

Can you say "You have a bit of a credibility problem, Rep. Jackson"?

 From The Hill -

Ronny Jackson, former White House doctor, predicts Biden will resign

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), the controversial former White House physician, said on Thursday that he believed President Biden would resign because of his limited cognitive abilities.

During an episode of Fox’s “Hannity,” host Sean Hannity criticized responses Biden gave during a CNN town hall the day before, calling some “completely incomprehensible.”

In an interview with Jackson, Hannity said that Biden would not perform well on a cognitive test, repeating a claim circulated among Republicans that the president's health is in decline.

Remember this?

From Vox (in 2018) - 

White House doctor: Trump “has absolutely no cognitive or mental issues”

President Donald Trump is in “excellent” physical and cognitive health, according to his physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, who shared the results of Trump’s first physical at a press conference Tuesday.

“It is called genetics ... ” Jackson said. “Some people have just great genes. I told the president that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old.”

Trump’s only health concern, according to Jackson, is his weight of 239 pounds. Jackson said the president wants to lose 10 to 15 pounds over the next year, and plans to exercise more.

His expertise on the topic of "cognitive issues" is questionable, and, while Trump may be the 6'3'' described in the Vox story, *I'm* closer to 239 pounds than Cheeto, and I should lose more than 10 to 15 pounds.

For the record, I am not questioning Cheeto's mental state.  The cabinet didn't 25th Amendment his ass; and they saw him more closely than a TV camera, and they saw him every day.

Plus, being found to be mentally unfit would keep him out of the place that he so richly belongs, prison.

Apparently, despising democracy isn't a good platform for a candidate for AZSOS

 From Raw Story - 

'Trump audit' blasted as 'botched' by Arizona Republican booed off stage at his 'Big Lie' rally

Secretary of State hopeful and Arizona state Sen. Michelle Ugenti was booed off stage at the "Rally to Protect Our Elections" in Phoenix on Saturday.

"Whoaa. GOP Secretary of State candidate ⁦Michelle Ugenti⁩ is booed off stage at TPUSA rally for Trump. She opposed GOP lawmaker's wish list for election changes," KPNX-TV reporter Brahm Resnik reported. "FYI Trump base crowd was primed to boo Michelle Ugenti. Wasn't anything she said. Boos rained all over room from start till she bailed out."

Of course, if Ugenti-Rita exits the race for the R nomination for AZSOS that would leave Mark Finchem as the most significant R candidate* in that particular primary, and he despises democracy just as much as she does.

*=subject to change

Update on 7/25/2021: Ugenti-Rita starts speaking at 1:19:06 mark of this CSPAN video; her appearance only lasts until 1:20:30 mark, so it's brief.

I'm not an expert on GOP politics (like that isn't obvious :) ), so maybe their primary voters like candidates who are combative and impatient.

Cheeto doubles down on the "Big Lie" during his visit to AZ

As long as his marks supporters keep showing up, so will he - he feeds off of their adulation and money - and their sense of entitlement; and he'll feed them a line of BS to keep them coming in,.

From Politico -

Trump clings to false election claims at Arizona rally

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday sought to lend credence to the partisan audit of presidential ballots cast in Arizona, holding his first rally there since the 2020 election.

Speaking in Phoenix at a Turning Point USA gathering, Trump hailed what he called Arizona Senate Republicans' “full forensic audit” of results in Maricopa County, while continuing to promulgate baseless conspiracy theories about the election he lost to Joe Biden.

Of course, Cheeto being Cheeto, it was always about the grift.

From Slate -

Donald Trump Is Keeping the Money

The rub was always in the fine print. Even after Donald Trump, the actual president of the United States, lost the 2020 election, he cranked up the outrage machine claiming election fraud, hinting at grand conspiracies, and sending Rudy Giuliani barnstorming to provide visuals, footage, new cautious news stories, that could be used to help spin the many, many yarns he was spinning on the fly. Meanwhile, Trump and his associated PACs raked in hundreds of millions on the chaos, confusion, and destruction. Their fundraising emails shouted things like “We MUST defend the Election from the Left!” as they soaked up cash from low-dollar donors who believed the president. The small print at the bottom whispered something very different: The first 75 percent of these #StoptheSteal donations to the Trump fundraising apparatus were redirected to Trump’s Save America leadership PAC, which was for Trump to spend more or less as he wished.

Katie Hobbs talks some smack/truth to Cheeto

 And her ability, and willingness, to do so is among the reasons why I support her in her run for governor of Arizona.

From The Hill -

Arizona secretary of state to Trump before rally: 'Take your loss and accept it and move on'

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) said that her message to former President Trump before his visit on Saturday is to “take your loss and accept it and move on,” referring to the ongoing partisan audit of the 2020 election results.

Trump is heading to Phoenix on Saturday for a “Rally to Save Our Elections!” event hosted by the conservative group Turning Point Action. He is likely to touch on his baseless claims that widespread voter fraud occurred during last year’s election.

She's nicer than I am - I would have added a suggestion that Trump pull his thumb out of his mouth (or other orifice).

Hmmmm. There seems to be a pattern here.

Whatever could it be?

From MainePublic.org -

Maine Lawmaker Who Opposed Coronavirus Restrictions Reportedly Has COVID-19

Rep. Chris Johansen, a Republican legislator from the Aroostook County town of Monticello who has been an outspoken opponent of coronavirus restrictions, has reportedly contracted COVID-19.

In a recording shared by Mainer News contributor Crash Barry, a man alleged to be Johansen said, “Listen up, I’ve got COVID and I’m really, really sick and I just don’t have time to talk to you today.”

From CNN -

Vaccines are a 'personal decision,' Hillsong Church founder says after congregant refuses shot and dies of Covid-19

The founder of the multinational Hillsong Church told CNN that Covid-19 vaccines are a "personal decision for each individual to make with the counsel of medical professionals" after a congregant who publicly refused inoculation died of complications from the disease.

Hillsong Church global senior pastor Brian Houston had announced the death of Stephen Harmon, who attended Hillsong in California, on social media this week.

Harmon had said on social media that he would not receive the vaccine, even when he was fighting Covid-19 in a hospital this month.

From Fox News -

Missouri AG plans to sue St. Louis over reinstatement of mask mandate

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said he plans to file a lawsuit against St. Louis and St. Louis County for reinstating a mask mandate for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people over the age of 5.

Local leaders announced the new requirements on Friday citing the rising number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The requirements were to take effect on Monday in indoor public places and on public transportation. 

Yes, unsurprisingly, Schmitt is a Republican.

From USA Today - 

'He’s regretful': Radio host who doubted vaccines hospitalized with COVID, family says

A conservative Tennessee-based talk radio host has changed his previously skeptical messaging on vaccines after being hospitalized with COVID-19, his family said.

Phil Valentine, who has posted on social media dissuading his audience from getting vaccinated if they aren't "in danger of dying" from COVID, has been hospitalized in the critical care unit and is receiving supplemental oxygen, but is not on a ventilator, according to his brother.

Also from CNN -

 

Unvaccinated nursing instructor in Missouri is hospitalized with Covid-19 and urging everyone to get the vaccine

Christy Henry had played it safe during the pandemic.

Wearing a mask in public and rarely coming into contact with others, the 56-year-old former nurse, who now works as a nursing instructor, resides in southern Missouri with her retired husband and children.

However, after Covid-19 vaccines became widely distributed in the spring, Henry and her family chose to not get inoculated. Henry said they felt because of their rural location and lifestyle, their risk of exposure was low.

Someone may not believe that vaccines won't help them or others, or that Covid won't hurt them or others, but Covid doesn't care.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.

Apparently Ken Bennett has had his fill of Kool-Aid

 From Newsweek -

Arizona GOP Audit Director Barred From Recount After Sharing Data Supporting Trump Loss

The Republican overseeing the controversial GOP-backed election audit in Arizona has 

reportedly been banned from entering the building where the recount process is ongoing, 

after he shared some data with experts that showed the results match the officially 

certified numbers in Maricopa County.

The Arizona Republic reported on Friday evening that Ken Bennett, Arizona's former 

Secretary of State who has been described as the audit's "director," was barred from 

entering the building on the state fairgrounds where the audit is moving forward. The 

newspaper reported that Bennett had shared some of the audit data with outside 

experts showing that the ballot recount was tracking "very closely" with Maricopa 

County's certified results.

With the fraudit's barring of Ken Bennett, a former AZSOS and president of the Arizona Senate, this particular threat to Arizona's democracy is now all on Karen Fann, the current president of the Arizona Senate.

Want evidence that Cheeto still is the spiritual center of the GOP?

 Like lemmings going over a cliff, trumpkins have to show their fealty to Cheeto.

From KJZZ -

Most Arizona GOP Candidates Will Attend Trump's Phoenix Rally On Saturday

Most Republicans running for statewide office in Arizona are expected to attend a rally with former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

With few exceptions, GOP candidates for governor, secretary of state and U.S. Senate are scheduled to attend. Many have confirmed they’ll speak at the day-long event, dubbed the “Rally To Protect Elections.

How many seconds will elapse before Cheeto takes credit for the rain in central AZ?

What?!? Cheeto listened to someone named "Barrack"? There's a first

 1. Yes, I know his name is spelled differently that the former President's.

2. $250 million?  You just know that Cheeto's first thought was "Yeah, but he wouldn't be in trouble without me, so where's my cut?"

From NBCNews -

Tom Barrack, former Trump inaugural chair, released on $250 million bond

Former Trump inaugural committee chair Tom Barrack on Friday was released from federal lockup in California on a $250 million bond ahead of his scheduled arraignment in New York on charges that he acted as an agent of the United Arab Emirates and obstructed justice.

As part of the terms of his release, Barrack, 74, is subject to electronic monitoring and will have to foot the bill for his GPS ankle bracelet, Judge Patricia Donahue ordered, signing off on an agreement that had been worked out between the government and Barrack's attorneys.

[snip]

A longtime friend of former President Donald Trump, Barrack had been behind bars since his arrest Tuesday on charges that he and two co-defendants were "acting and conspiring to act as agents" of the UAE between April 2016 and April 2018, but without registering as foreign agents.

The only real question left is does he get Epsteined before the arraignment on Monday or before a trial?

I'm guessing before a trial, but either way, if he physically cannot appear, the bond will be returned to his estate.

Per GOP-think, speaking the truth is a crime

 

From The Hill - 

GOP Rep. Cawthorn says he wants to 'prosecute' Fauci

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) says he wants to “prosecute” Anthony Fauci should the GOP regain control of the House in 2022.

Cawthorn's remark underscores how Fauci has become central to GOP attacks on the Biden administration and the government's handling of the coronavirus, even as the delta variant sweeps through unvaccinated communities and it becomes clearer and clearer that vaccinations are a key to stomping out the disease.

State (AZ) committee update

 From the website of the Arizona Secretary of State -

Lindberg is running for Congress (isn't it amazing how I picked up on that :) ); don't know much about either one.

Interestingly though, on both the websites of the AZSOS and the IRS, is a local recall committee.

On the IRS paperwork is a statement of the committee purpose -

"PURPOSE IS TO RECALL GILBERT MAYOR BRIGETTE PETERSON AND ELECT CANDIDATES TO LOCAL AND STATE OFFICE THAT ALIGN WITH VIEWS AGAINST THE BOOMING APARTMENT TREND''

The chair of the committee is Brandon Ryff and the treasurer is Stacia Ehlen.

Turns out both are homeowners in Gilbert who are upset over the fact that denser zoning may be enacted there.

Disclosure time: While I have no opinion on this effort, I make a living as an analyst of multifamily real estate.