Nightmare Red Alert In Pennsylvania: Beware of Republican Candidates For Governor Dressed in Confederate Army Uniforms and Disgraced Carpetbagger TV Doctors Running For The Senate

September 19th, 2022

My Dear America: 

CNN has called the Pennsylvania Race for Governor "Weird".

They are not wrong.

The Pennsylvania Democratic Candidate for Governor, Josh Shapiro's Candidacy is not really a surprising one.  Shapiro was so universally admired and accepted by the PA Democratic Party that he was unopposed in his 2022 Primary Election.  Shapiro had risen rather gradually in the Democratic Party ranks through the Legislature and into his Successful Term in the Office of the Attorney General Of Pennsylvania.  The General Consensus in the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania has been that Shapiro has done an outstanding job as Pennsylvania Attorney General.

One of the reasons that "Weird" Doug Mastroiano rose to the top of the heap in the Trump Loving Republican Primary Pack of Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Candidates was that Josh Shapiro and the Democratic Party thought that it might be a good idea to raise Mastroiano's profile by promoting him in television ads as someone who is far too extreme to be Governor of Pennsylvnaia.

Right now Shapiro and the Democrats might be wondering if they might have made a mistake in looking to paint Mastroiano as a Super Extremist and a certified Trump Lover, although he certainly is both.

Although it appears as through Shapiro has been maintaining a consistent lead over Mastroiano in the polls so far, his lead has, for the most part, been an uncomfortably close lead of only a very few points.

To me as a Pennsylvania Voter, I don't understand how or why Doug Mastroiano has been at all successful in his quest for the Governorship.

Although I would hesitate to call Mastroiano a Nazi or a member of the Ku Klux Klan, his obvious acceptance of the same "Christian Nationalist" beliefs about Blacks and Jews that fueled these groups make one wonder how he can be as successful as he has been.  

Clearly, Mastroiano is a Candidate with Disturbingly Extreme Baggage.  

Certainly, I would think that it would have been expected that the fact that Mastroiano was an obvious and admitted Co Conspirator with Donald Trump when Trump was still in the White House, in Trump's efforts to alter the 2020 Election Results should have precluded decent Republican voters from voting for Mastroiano in the Republican Primary.

It didn't.  He won big in The Republican Primary far outpacing the four other candidates in the race. 

Of Course Doug Mastroiano is not big on Transparency.  He almost never gives interviews to Mainstream Journalists and considering his Extreme Right Wing Agenda that's probably a good idea for him and his Campaign to keep his Highly Extremist views under wraps as much as possible.  Those reporters covering Mastroiano's Campaign complain about the number of Security people who keep him walled off from those who wish to question his motives and his tactics.

Mastroiano does have his favorite Media Outlets, however.  He can be found spewing his hateful rhetoric now and then on One America Network (OAN) and Newsmax, Fox News and Steve Bannon's Podcast and on GAB, An Extremist  Social Media Outlet in which Right Wing Christian Nationalist Anti Jewish and Anti Black Garbage stinks up the internet at all hours of the day and night.  GAB Founder, Andrew Torba has also been signed up by Mastroiano to be a paid adviser to his campaign. 

Mastroiano's  Television Commercials certainly make it clear that if elected Mastroiano will outlaw Abortions in PA.  The Right Wing Republican Candidate makes it clear that if elected he will turn what is now one of the few states in which Abortion is legal and safe, thanks to Democratic Governor Tom Wolf and Attorney General Shapiro up to now keeping an out of control Republican led legislature from running Amok, into a state in which "The Handmaids Tale" will no longer be Fiction but Absolute Fact.

Mastroiano has not only been an active election denier but also a  planner of activities on January Sixth with Trump and Associates.  Not only Did Mastroiano participate himself in marching to the Capitol on January Sixth.  He paid for a busload of his supporters to accompany him to D.C. on January Sixth, 2021.   It is known that Mastroiano pushed past police lines on January Sixth but for the most part the Republican Candidate for Governor has not been too forthcoming regarding all of his January Sixth Activities.

Not only is Mastroiano an election denier and Trump Acolyte, his TV ads make it clear that if he is elected that he will appoint a Secretary of State who will answer to Mastroiano, not to the voters of Pennsylvania and if Mastroiano is not satisfied with the results of a Pennsylvania Election he will feel free to seize the voting machines throughout the state and if he chooses may change the actual results of an election.

No wonder Mastroiano avoids Mainstream Journaliists like the Plague.

Suffice it to say that the thought of Doug Mastroiano becoming the Governor of Pennsylvania is terrifying beyond belief.  Pennsylvania has had its voting issues over several decades and has switched back and forth between Republicans and Democrats often.  But this time out the thought that this Right Wing Madman who is obviously one of the leading figures in Donald Trump's criminal conspiracy to hang onto the White House and in so doing his 'Get Out of Jail Free" Card, is too much to bear.  

Doug Mastroiano should obviously never have been able to get this close to the possibility of becoming Governor of Pennsylvania.

But unfortunately for Pennsylvanians he is going to be on the ballot in November of 2022 and we can only hope that in the November election reason will prevail and Doug Mastroiano will be a name that will be tossed onto the trash heap of history along with that of Donald Trump.

In the Pennsylvania battle for the Senate seat being vacated by Pat Toomey lies another very interesting yet disturbing race.  

Unlike mainstream candidate, Josh Shapiro, Democrat John Fetterman does not really fit he mold of what we might expect a Pennsylvania Senate Candidate to be.  Fetterman is a giant of a man, over six feet tall.  He is tattooed and as he seems to take pleasure in pointing out he "Doesn't look like a typical political candidate."

Like Josh Shapiro, John Fetterman has also maintained a steady lead over his  opponent in the Senate Race, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a TV Doctor and Heart Surgeon whose Television personality was discovered and nurtured by Oprah Winfrey, who helped him to become a household name.  When his Television show was foundering it appears as though the good doctor saw a chance in Pennsylvania to run for the United States Senate.  Never mind the fact that the man who John Fetterman calls "Doc Hollywood" didn't live in the state of Pennsylvania.  He lived in New Jersey and only bought a home in Pennsylvania 8 months ago. Fetterman also points out that Dr. Oz has many homes in places other than Pennsylvania including New Jersey, Turkey and also Palm Beach, where I think it can be safely assumed that he became acquainted with Donald Trump, who endorsed him during the Primary Campaign.

Fetterman, on the other hand has been a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman is a man who wears dark and casual clothing and looks more like a giant wrestler than a Senate Candidate but he has some serious street cred in PA.  When he was elected Lieutenant Governor Fetterman embarked on a state wide listening tour regarding the prospect of legalizing Marijuana in Pennsylvania.  Fetterman's tour of the state resulted in the establishment of marijuana being approved for sale in the case of several medical conditions in the state of Pennsylvania  

Fetterman and his family have lived frugally in Braddock, Pennsylvania for a long time.  Fetterman started out as an instructor for the Americorps Program and when he saw young people being killed in that city he ran for Mayor and Won.  Eventually he ran for Lieutenant Governor and won that race also.  As Lieutenant Governor he served as the Chariman of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons and was responsible for some significant improvements in the Pennsylvania Prison and Criminal Justice System.

"Doc Hollywood" has been hammering Fetterman's improvements and concerns about the Pardons Board and Justice System in Pennsylvania as being evidence of Fetterman being soft on crime.  Fetterman's response to those accusations has been to highlight the positive things he has done regarding criminal Justice as Mayor of Braddock and on the Pardons Board.

Clearly in Pennsylvania in November of 2022 Democracy is on the line in this state, as well as in many other states in the union as Election Deniers are on the ballot in many states  

But by far, in my opinion the most dangerous and out of touch Candidate on the ballot in any American State this November is Doug Mastroiano.  Mastroiano has made no apologies for his Dedication and Support for Donald Trump.  He has bragged that he will be the man who determines the winners of elections in his state and if he does not agree with the voters he can and will determine the winners through his self appointed Secretary of State and his control of the state voting machines.

Also, Doug Mastroiano clearly does not like Jews or Blacks in his state or anywhere else.  

And he will turn what has been a state where women continue to have a choice regarding what they determine they want to do with their bodies into a state where they and their Doctors may find themselves in prison as a result of future draconian  anti abortion laws.  Mastroiano also brags that abortions in the case of incest or rape is "Ridiculous Nonsense."

Doug Mastroiano has also made it clear that he has no use for Gay Marriage

Doug Mastroiano is so dangerous that a number of High Profile Republicans including former Congressman, Charlie Dent and Former Head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff and several other Republican leaders have come out in support of Democrat, Josh Shapiro because they do not support the election of "Weird" Doug Mastroiano to be the Governor of their Home State of Pennsylvania

In My opinion if it looks like a Nazi and sounds like a Nazi.  Its a Fucking Nazi and Pennsylvania has one on the ballot in November of 2022.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

   

Joe Biden And Barack Obama: Brothers In Democracy

Monday, September 12th, 2022

Thursday, September 1st of 2022 President Joe Biden gave the Speech Of A Lifetime in Front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This important speech should have been broadcast on every station but incredibly it was only broadcast on MSNBC and CNN.  

Gentleman Joe did what he had to do as a responsible person and as well as a responsible President. He called out in no uncertain terms the seriously indecent and undemocratic conduct displayed over the course of the past several years by Donald Trump and his Maga Rpublican Fanatics.

Good for you, Joe.

Good for you

It had to be done and you did it.

It had to be difficult for Joe Biden to give that speech in Philadelphia calling out Maga Republicans.  Joe Biden has always been a man who not only talks Bipartisanship.  He has always practiced Bipartisanship every day of his political life.  Indeed, some of his best friends have been Republicans.  In an earlier Bipartisan time His Republican Friends have included people like Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Mitch McConnell, among many other Republican colleagues.

Unfortunately, that Bipartisan era seems to be long gone now.  

Maga Republicans, (Namely Donald Trump Loving Republicans) used to be outsiders who "Normal" Republicans seemed to take pains to try to keep in line.

No More

These days it is the Maga Republicans who are in charge of what used to be a Political Party but seems to have turned into a Jonestown Type of Cult which has turned its Ugly Qanon Conspiracy Loving Members Attention into destroying Democracy in America and turning Donald Trump or someone like him into a Dictator in the mold of Trump's Dictator Buddies like Vladimir Putin.

Something else that happened recently was the unveiling at the White House of the Official White House Portraits of Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama. For this occasion not only were President Obama and Michelle invited to the White House but also invited were many members of both the Obama Team and the Biden Team.  Quite a few individuals invited were members in good standing of both teams.

Although I was not aware beforehand that this event was occurring, I just happened to luck into watching the ceremony on MSNBC.  What a thrill it was to see and hear the former President and the current President and their wives together showing each other and those watching on TV what it looks like when people genuinely love and respect each other as Barack and Joe and their spouses obviously do.  

In this rather strange and in many ways terrible "Maga" World we live in we sometimes get buried in negativity and tend to forget that there are people in the world like the Obamas and the Bidens who genuinely love and respect each other and if we let them, can show us just how to treat each other with love and respect.

Unfortunately, for many Americans, especially Republicans, their frame of reference for how to treat other people seems to be the awful example that was demonstrated by Donald Trump over the past several years.  That example was, to put it simply, to crush and disrespect those who do not do everything you say and do not agree with everything you do.  Why shouldn't Republicans follow Trump's lead?  After all, it was a successful strategy that worked well for Trump and up to this point, still seems to be working for him.

Although the Judicial noose seems to be tightening somewhat recently, overall, there seems to me to be little hope that Donald Trump will ever become someone that we can all love and trust and look up to as a decent and worthwhile person.  Although, you never know.  a couple of years in prison certainly woke Michael Cohen up.  I suppose that the same thing could happen with Donald Trump.

At the present time, however, there does not seem to be very much credible evidence that Donald Trump is turning into a nice guy.  

He has stolen state secrets and does not seem to be inclined to give them all back.  Yet, despite this incredibly serious breach of Presidential Protocol, as well as his serious efforts to promote the successful campaigns of Election Deniers who seem hell bent on not only denying the 2020 election but seem to be, if elected, ready to say 'Screw You" to the legitimate voters of America.

But lets get back to discussing those two real Americans who have been willing to put themselves before the voters as legitimate candidates and who are unwilling to shaft the voters in order to win their elections.

I found myself tearing up listening to the Biden's and the Obama's at this past week's portrait unveilings.  The contrast between Donald Trump and either Barack Obama or Joe Biden is like night and day.

I found myself this year and last year reading two excellent books. One Written by Barack Obama and one Written by Joe Biden.   I would highly recommend to anyone interested in politics to read these books.

Now I tend to be a slow reader to begin with.  If I really enjoy reading a book I tend to slow down even more so that I can savor the pleasure I get out of the book. I read very slowly through both of the following books:

"A Promised Land" by Barack Obama is published by Crown Publishing, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Publishing.  I read the Hardback edition which was listed at 45 dollars regular price although I'm sure that some slightly used discount editions might be available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble by now.  It is a long book (701 Pages) but it is a fascinating and uplifting read.  Barack Obama was, of course, a best selling Author before he ran for President and this excellent memoir will only solidify his reputation as one of the Best Writers of our time.

"Promises To Keep" by Joe Biden is also a Random House book.  The Copy I got was a Random House Trade Publication that I bought at a discount through Amazon.com.  It is a memoir that tells Joe's story from his life in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Delaware through his successful campaigns for the Senate up to just before his successful run with Barack Obama for Vice President.

I truly loved both of these books.  I was not really surprised by how articulate Barack Obama was.  He was, we all know an incredible speechmaker and writer.

What surprised me most about these two books was the fact that I think Joe Biden turned out to be just as good a writer as Barack.  And that I believe is saying something.

We are presently at a crossroads whereby the next election once again will turn out to be the most important election of our time.  

I would suggest to anyone who does not believe that Joe Biden should run for President again that they should read "Promises to Keep."  Biden is the kind of Decent, Caring and Trustworthy person we need in the White House at this important time and in my opinion if he runs again I will gladly vote for him.  I think that he has shown himself to be not only up to the job as President but has been an outstanding President even though Republicans have gone out of their way to make him unsuccessful.  I wake up every day thankful that it was Joe Biden that won the Presidency in 2020 and not Donald Trump.

I hope Biden runs again and will give me a chance to vote for him again in 2024.  "Promises to keep" is evidence, as is the accomplishments of the early parts of his first term, that he is not only a Political Master but that he is a man who cares deeply about people.  He always has and I predict he always will.  We need him in the White House and we need to back him up with plenty of Democrats in the House of Representatives.

So in 2022 Vote Democrat

And in 2024 Vote Democrat again.

Our Democracy Depends on it.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

God Saved The Queen

 September 8th, 2022

Queen Elizabeth is Dead.

Long Live The Queen

Certainly Queen Elizabeth II has lived a long and eventful life.  She was 96 Years old when she passed away today and she had been the Queen of England for 70 years of her life.  She was only 25 years old when she inherited the throne from her Father, King George VI . Indeed, neither King George nor Queen Elizabeth had been expected to be British Monarchs but George's Brother, Edward VIII Abdicated his throne so that he could marry a twice divorced American woman named Wallis Simpson.  And after Elizabeth's Father died while in office Elizabeth was next in line for the throne.

Queen Elizabeth was not someone who seemed to love the glamour and the spotlight that went along with being queen.  Indeed, those who knew her best seemed to recognize that she was a rather shy person, overall.

Yet, when those moments came when she needed to step up to her responsibilities she always seemed capable of doing that and, despite the desires of many Britons to do away with the Monarchy, Queen Elizabeth seemed to understand what her duties were to her United Kingdom Subjects and she carried them out gracefully and responsibly.  Over he long reign Elizabeth was loved and admired by almost everyone in her kingdom.

At certain times in her life, although she never seemed to attract much negative attention herself, a great deal of controversy seemed to swirl around other members of the Royal Family.  Her Sister, Princess Margaret's love life, Her son Charles and his wife Diana and his mistress and later wife, Camilla, Her son Andrew's accusations of his association with Jeffrey Epstein and escapades with underage girls must have been extremely distressing to the queen. 

Yet Queen Elizabeth seemed to soldier on throughout her life with dignity and respect received from most of her subjects.  While Elizabeth accomplished much throughout her life her accomplishments were, for the most part, under the radar and out of the limelight.  She was a private person who was not only well loved by her British subjects but she seemed to be well loved by people, including Presidents and leaders from all over the world, who admired and respected her.

Although she tried her best to be a private person her story has been told in many ways over the years in newspapers, books, magazines, in movies and on television.  Indeed, The Royal Family of Elizabeth and Phillip and their family were probably one of the first families who starred in a Television "Reality Show" in Great Britain featuring their own family.  The Crown is a very popular Netflix show that tells her story in great detail and now finally has an ending, or does it.  

Certainly the story of King Charles has already proven to be an interesting one.  Charles has not been as popular as his mother with the British people but we will see in the coming days, weeks and years how things work out for Charles and his wife and sons, as well as other members of the Royal Family.  

But for now I will join into the British Hope for their King and say the following:

                                       GOD SAVE THE KING

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher