The January Sixth Committee Hearings Continue In High Gear For The Latest Three Hearings

Monday, July 11th, 2022

 My Dear America:

To say that the last couple of weeks of Testimony at the January Sixth Committee Hearings have been Astonishing is putting it mildly.  

The Fourth Committee Hearing, like the first three, consisted of a good deal of  video taped testimony by a number of individuals who had already testified to the Committee and to their staff.  The Fourth Committee Hearing also featured Testimony under oath by four Individuals who were testifying live and in person in the committee Hearing Room.

Those Fourth Committee Hearing In Person Witnesses were Rusty Bowers, who is the current Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, Brad Raffensperger, Who is currently the Secretary of State in Georgia and his Deputy, Gabriel Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer in the Georgia Secretary Of State's Office.  The last but certainly not least in terms of Testimony Impact during the Fourth Committee Hearing was Shaye Moss, a former Election Worker who was employed by the Fulton County Elections Department before she was unfairly targeted by Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump and their dangerous disciples in the state of Georgia.

The first person heard from at the Fourth Committee Hearing was Rusty Bowers.  Prior to this Hearing this was a name that I had never heard of and I don't think many other people had heard of.  Rusty was an older gentleman and it was evident through his testimony that he clearly took his role as an Arizona public servant seriously.  He had been contacted by Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani, among others in an effort to possibly change legal Electors for Biden, who had won the state in the 2020 election.  Trump claimed that many dead people and illegal immigrants had voted in November of 2020 for Biden.  Rusty Bowers asked Trump and Giuliani if they had names of these illegal voters.  Rudy said they did.  Bowers asked to be given the names.  Trump told Rudy to do it and Rudy promised to get them to Bowers ASAP.  Bowers testified that he never received the names or any information that he could use to verify Trump and Giuliani's claims so that he could not legitimately cooperate with Trump in changing the Electors from Biden to Trump. Naturally, Bowers refused to cooperate with the Trump Electors scheme.  Trump followers harassed not only Rusty Bowers at his home where his daughter was living with him in her last days.  She was dying and did die in January of 2021.  While she was alive she and the family were constantly subjected to threats and harassment by Trump supporters.

Brad Raffensperger, whose disturbing phone call with Trump demanding that Raffensperger find over 11 thousand votes to tip the election in Trump's favor also refused to relent to Trump's harassment.  Raffensperger and his family were also subject to harassing phone calls at home and individuals trying to gain entry into his daughter in laws home.  She was a widow.  Raffensperger's son had passed away.

Gabriel Sterling told a similar tale of harassment by Trump's supporters and supported Secretary Raffensperger's explanation of what had been done by the Georgia officials to carefully count the ballots in their state as accurately as possible.  According to these two representatives from Georgia there was no way that Trump's claims of massive voter fraud was true.  

Indeed, the three officials that testified at the Fourth January Sixth Committee Hearing, two from Georgia and one from Arizona were dyed in the wool Republicans who had voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 Election.  

In Fact, Rusty Bowers, following his explosive testimony inexplicably claimed that if, in fact Donald Trump was the 2024 Presidential Candidate that he would vote for Trump again, as he had voted for Trump in 2020.

Shaye Moss ended the fourth Hearing of the January Sixth Committee with her heartbreaking tale of being a long time Georgia Election worker who was a sympathetic victim of Donald Trump's selfish obsession with denying that he was a Loser in the 2020 Election, which, of course he was.

This young lady's life and that of her Mother and Grandmother were shaken to the core by Trump's and Giuliani's lies due to Giuliani and Trump identifying them as being guilty of not only messing with the ballots (Which investigations proved was not the case) to passing drugs between each other ( Which turned out to be candies).  

These people had to go into hiding as a result of these desperate and despicable election lies which led to dangerous threats by Trump supporters.

Following Shaye Moss's testimony to the committee the Committee members lined up to shake Shaye's hand and hug her as well as Shaye's mother, "Lady Ruby"

The Fifth Session of the January Sixth Committee was primarily led by Republican Committee Member, Adam Kinzinger and concentrated on testimony with regard to Donald Trump's effort to bully leaders of the United States Department of Justice to participate in his desperate attempt to remain in the White House despite the fact that he lost the election in 2020.

Although a good deal of videotaped testimony was also included during this fifth hearing, most of this hearing's testimony featured three individuals who were, in fact, the leaders of the Department of Justice during the last days of the Trump Administration following the resignation of Attorney General, William Barr, following his advice to President Trump that the investigation by the Justice Department had not uncovered any indication of fraud that would have affected the fact that Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election.

The individuals from the Justice Department who testified at the fifth January Sixth Committee Hearing were the following:

Jeff Rosen:  Acting Attorney General

Richard Donaghue: Acting Assistant Attorney General

Steven Engel:  U.S. Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel

All three Justice Department Officials testified to the fact that in the final days of the Trump Administration Donald Trump, despite all evidence to the contrary,  continued to claim that he, and not Joe Biden had won the November 2020 Election.  

The Three men testifying at the Fifth January Sixth Hearing described a meeting they had with President Trump in which he expressed an interest in firing Mr. Rosen and replacing him with a Justice Department Environmental Lawyer named Jeff Clark, who agreed to send a letter to many states announcing that Election Fraud had been found, which was not true.  In the end Clark was not appointed Attorney General because all of the Justice Department Officials in the meeting stated that they would resign if Clark was appointed Acting Attorney General. 

Following the testimony of the Justice Department Officials announcements were made that indicated that Public Televised January Sixth Committee Hearings would be on hold for awhile and would resume some time later in July.    

And Then Suddenly at the end of June came the announcement that an Urgent Emergency Hearing of the January Sixth Committee was scheduled for June 28th, 2022.  

Who was going to be testifying America wanted to know.  But no one except members of the Committee and their staff knew who the mystery witness was going to be until shortly before  the hearing began.

The Mystery Witness who was going to be testifying on June 28th was Cassidy Hutchinson.

Who was Cassidy Hutchinson and what was she going to say that was deserving of such Secrecy regarding her "Urgent" Testimony?

On June 28th, 2022 Cassidy Hutchinson was sworn in as the next witness to testify in front of the January Sixth Committee.

Cassidy Hutchinson was young and attractive.  She looked good in front of the Cameras.  

Cassidy Hutchinson was a former White House Aide.  She was introduced as an Assistant to Former Trump Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.

We had already seen some of Cassidy Hutchinson previously when her videotaped testimony had been played showing her indicate that she was aware of the fact that several people had requested pardons in the final days of the Trump Administration including Rudy Giulani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, as well as Congresspeople including Matt Gaetz, Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, Louie Gohmert, Scott Perry and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

During much of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony questions were asked by Committee Co Chair, Liz Cheney.

Although Ms. Hutchinson generally avoided saying the full curse word in her testimony when I quote her I will use the curse word that Ms. Hutchinson reported that President Trump used in his angry rants.

Cassidy Hutchinson was asked by Congresswoman Cheney about what she had observed backstage at the Ellipse before President Trump gave his speech.  

Ms. Hutchinson stated that President Trump was angry because a magnatometer had been set up by the Secret Service to prevent a number of people coming into the area who were observed to have guns.  According to Ms. Hutchinson President Trump became upset that the gun toting individuals were not allowed to join the Ellipse crowd and stated that he wanted the magnatometers to be removed and the gun toters to be allowed to join the crowd and also march to the Capitol with the crowd. Trump was angry that the Secret service would not allow the gunmen to join the crowd on the Ellipse.

After the speeches at the Ellipse according to what Ms. Hutchinson had been told by Secret Service Agents, Donald Trump demanded that the Secret Service agent driving the President's vehicle take him to the Capitol.  When the agent refused Trump tried to grab the steering wheel and stated "I'm the Fucking President.  Take me to the Capitol Now".  The agent told him "Sir, take your hand off the steering wheel.  We're going back to the West Wing."

Hutchinson stated that on the day that Trump found out that Attorney General, William Barr gave an interview to the Associated Press stating that the Justice Department had determined that there was no Election Fraud that Trump reacted to that by Throwing food at the Wall in the Oval Office Dining room.  

As the Rioters were storming the Capitol Pat Cippolone, the President's Counsel and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows went to talk to the President and came back to the office where Ms. Hutchinson was working and she heard them talking.

Cassidy Hutchinson testified to the fact that she heard the following Conversation between Cippolone and Meadows discussing the Rioter's chants that they were going to "Hang Mike Pence."

Pat Cippolone - Mark, we need to do something.  They're literally calling for the Vice President to be fucking hung.

Mark Meadows - You heard him, Pat.  He thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn't think they're doing anything wrong.

Pat Cippolone - This is fucking crazy.  We need to be doing something more.

Shortly after this discussion between Cippolone and Meadows while the Trump Supporters at the Capitol were continuing to threaten to "Hang MIke Pence" and had set up a scaffold outside the Capitol with which to do it, President Trump sent out the following Tweet.

"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving states a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify.  USA demands the truth."

When Cassidy Hutchinson was asked about how she felt about what she heard and saw on January 6th, 2021 she stated:

"As an American I was disgusted, Frustrated, disappointed."

She stated that the Capitol Building was being defaced for a lie.

To say that Cassidy Hutchinson gave bombshell testimony is putting it mildly.

She is a brave young lady who, unlike many other possible January Sixth Witnesses, has come forward and laid out some facts that she can attest to and which make what was already a deeply disturbing picture of what happened on January Sixth even more disturbing.  

To be honest, I thought that January Sixth was bad enough when I watched what happened on television and thought that Trump was simply too frightened to go to the Capitol on January Sixth.

I can only imagine the bloodbath that could have and certainly would have taken place if he had joined the mob at the Capitol on that day.  

Thank God for the fact that the Secret Service did him the favor of keeping him from the Capitol on that dark day in January of 2021.

Clearly, as of this time the January Sixth Committee has shown that without a doubt Donald Trump should not be allowed to run for office ever again and is certainly guilty of "High Crimes" which certainly should disqualify him from ever seeking the Presidency again. 

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

The January Sixth Select Congressional Committee Comes Out Swinging Through The First Three Public Hearings

 June 16th, 2022

My Dear America:

We were Promised Bombshell Testimony by The January Sixth Committee and the Bombshells have been falling hard over the past week as the Committee has begun the Public Televised Hearings.

To be honest nothing that I have heard so far in the Three Televised Hearings was all that shocking or new.  What is new and certainly is bombshell testimony is the fact that almost everyone in Donald Trump's orbit after the 2020 Election results were known was convinced, unlike Donald Trump, that President Trump's awful and unlawful Presidency would be over in January of 2021.

Even the lowest of the low bottom feeders like Jason Miller and many other Trump Loyalists realized that it was all over for the Trump Administration.

Trump had very few Trump cards to play in the coming days after the election results were announced and regardless of how many Advisers and Family Members told him that he had lost he refused to accept the fact that they might have been correct in their assessments.  Even most of those Congresspeople who had aligned themselves with Trump and had supported much of his flawed agenda waited patiently as Trump's Legal team played out their doomed fight to prove the unprovable.  Namely, that Donald Trump had actually won the 2020 Election and was the Victim of Election Fraud.  Most correct thinking individuals were able to look at what was happening in the White House for two months after the election and realize that something was off, Way Off.

While many newspeople continued to ask Republicans what was going on, Many Republicans stated that they fully expected that Trump would come around to reality once He and Rudy Giuliani played out Trump's Legal Hand.

Gradually some Republicans, like Mitch McConnell recognizing the Clear and Present Danger that Donald Trump presented began saying the obvious truth that

In the Presidential Race of 2020 Joseph R. Biden had been the clear winner. 

Of Course when Mitch told the truth about the Election, Trump verbally savaged him.  So what else was new.

Last Thursday, although Fox News refused to carry the Initial Prime Time Public Session of the January Sixth Committee, every other Network News Division presented the program in its entirety.

The first night began with statements by Committee Chairman, Democrat Bennie Thompson and Republican Co-Chairperson, Liz Cheney.

Probably the most significant recorded testimony of the night was by Former Attorney General, William Barr.  Certainly William Barr's testimony is a bit tainted by the fact that up until the point he resigned, or got fired, depending on who you believe, Barr was a complete Toady to President Trump.

But according to the testimony of Barr that was played at the First Prime Time Committee meeting Barr claimed that he told Trump that after the Department of Justice investigated Trump's Claims of "Voter Fraud" Barr told Trump that his claims of "Voter Fraud" was "Bullshit" and "Nonsense".  Understandably, Barr was gone from the Justice Department shortly afterward. 

Oddly, Ivanka Trump when questioned about the results of the Election stated that she believed Barr.

Something that all three of the Hearings has shown is that the crowd of Trump supporters that, first of all, demonstrated at the Capitol and following that invaded the Capitol Building was made up of, for the most part, some of the dumbest individuals ever.  They proudly filmed themselves breaking into the Capitol, destroying property and threatening not only Vice President Mike Pence but Nancy Pelosi, Jerrod Nadler and AOC, as well as many others.

For God's sake, Broadcasting your crimes.  How freaking dumb do you have to be? Well, now that I think about it, they were just following the Dumb Donald Trump Playbook.  He, of course, broadcasted and bragged about his crimes often.  Why wouldn't his supporters follow his lead.

The two main witnesses who testified at the Thursday Evening Televised hearing in person were Nick Quested and Caroline Edwards.

Quested was a filmmaker who was making a film about the Proud Boys at the time of the January Sixth Insurrection.  He testified that in the course of making his film he had inadvertently filmed the Proud Boys meeting with members of other groups, including The Oath Keepers on January 5th in a D.C. Parking Garage.  The Committee showed that part of Quested's film.  Quested also testified that as he followed the Proud Boys around on January Sixth, 2021 that the group did not even go to Trump's Rally but instead at around 10:30 in the morning went to the Capitol and seemingly cased the building prior to breaking in when all the other Trump Fanatics came along later.  

Also appearing at the First Committee Session on Prime Time Thursday was Caroline Edwards, an attractive young Capitol Police Officer who described in detail her brutal treatment at the hands of the Trump Mob on January Sixth.

The Second January Sixth Session took place on Tuesday Morning of this week and in addition to featuring several actual witnesses testifying in person featured a great deal of filmed Committee Testimony by many individuals in the Trump orbit testifying that they told Trump that he lost the election, a message that he seemingly simply refused to accept. 

In person witnesses at the Second January Sixth Hearing included some well known Republicans including Chris Stirewalt, who was a digital expert with Fox News on Election night 2020, who stated with authority that Trump lost the election.  Republicans Al Schmidt, a Republican election expert from Philadelphia and Well Regarded Republican Lawyer Ben Ginsberg also testified that Trump clearly lost the 2020 Election.  Barr's videotaped testimony, as well as the videotaped  testimony of many others working with the President indicated that no one other than Rudy Giuliani or Disgraced Constitutional Lawyer, John Eastman believed that Trump had won the election of November 2020.  The In Person Republican Testimony was guided on the Second day of Hearings by California Congresswoman, Zoe Lofgren

Today on June 16th of 2022 The Select Committee Hearing Testimonies were conducted by Committee Investigative Counsel, John Wood and also by California Congressman, Pete Aguilar.  Once again much of the Hearing consisted of  Committee Video Testimony by many of those individuals who were closest to Trump commenting on the brutal bullying and ultimately clearly criminal pressure that Donald Trump was unleashing on his Vice President, Mike Pence prior to January 6th of 2021.

In addition to the video testimonies the Select Committee on January Sixth also heard from two important Republican witnesses.  In fact, most of the witnesses on video in today's hearing were also Republicans.  The two In Person Witnesses at today's hearing were Greg Jacob and Michael Luttig.  

Michael Luttig is well known to Republicans as a Leading Light in the Republican Party and a Conservative's Conservative.  In addition to his time as a Judge on the Federal Bench, Luttig  was also known to be an important member of both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush Administrations.

Greg Jacob spent time in 2020 and 2021 as a Counsel to Vice President, Mike Pence.  Jacob made it clear in his testimony, as did many others in their video testimonies that were also included in today's hearing, that although Trump pressured Pence to decertify the legitimate Electors from certain states whose voters had supported Joe Biden on January Sixth, Mike Pence refused to do it.

Michael Luttig made it clear in his testimony that in his legal opinion Mike Pence had no legal right to do what Donald Trump was demanding of him.  Namely, decertifying legitimate electors in an effort to support Trump's warped view that the 2020 Election had been stolen from him.

In essence, what the January Sixth Committee has been doing for the last three Hearings is making the case that Donald Trump knew very well that he had legitimately lost the election but refused to allow himself to be designated as a "Loser", which to Trump was apparently one of the worst things that could happen to a human being in Trump World.

Clearly Donald Trump was focused on keeping himself in office because he knew that once he was out of office he might not be able to count on his being President to keep him from answering to the many legal charges that might be coming his way in his future.

Clearly the January Sixth Committee is doing a good job of building a case against Donald Trump committing many crimes including Sedition, as well as conspiracy to murder his Vice President and many other serious offenses.  

Certainly Donald Trump is a Dangerous Sociopath capable of continuing to commit crimes of epic proportions if he was allowed to return to the White House.  

Just look at the situation in Ukraine and how things would be so horribly different if it was Donald Trump rather than Joe Biden in the White House.  Trump would have the United States, instead of helping Ukraine, entering the war on the side of the Russians and Trump's "Genius" buddy, Vladimir Putin.

Clearly Federal Law makes it a crime to commit sedition and makes it impossible for Federal employees to work for the United States Government when they have committed Treasonous Crimes, which Donald Trump has clearly done.

I know that it may be a burden for the January Sixth Committee to complete their investigation, report and hearings if they hand over all the evidence that they have dug up on Donald Trump.  

That being said, although it is very important for the January Sixth Committee to complete their investigation, it is time for the Committee Members to quickly pass on all of the information that they have gathered so that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department can use the information gathered to prepare a Serious Case that will result in keeping Donald Trump from returning to work in the Government of the United States of America ever again.

The clock is ticking and there may be serious statute of limitations issues which make it important for the Committee to wrap up their hearings and turn over everything they have to the United States Justice Department As Soon as possible.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

 

Echoes of Watergate: Part Two - Today Is The 50th Anniversary Of The Watergate Break-In

 June 17th, 2022

My Dear America:

It doesn't seem like 50 Years have gone by since the break in at the D.C. Watergate Complex but the calendar doesn't lie, although I wish it would sometimes.

Although I was more than halfway through writing about the start of the July 6th Hearings I could not ignore the significance of todays date, June 17th.  

It was 50 years ago today on June 17th of 1972 when 5 men were arrested in the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate Hotel, Office and Apartment Complex in Washington, D.C..

Luckily for Bob Woodward, a reporter for the Washington Post, he was given the assignment of going to check on the court appearance for the burglars who were arrested at the Watergate Complex.  While at the court appearance Woodward found out that one of the burglars, James McCord, had worked at the CIA and was now working with (CREEP) The Committee To Re Elect The President (Nixon)

What the hell was this guy and four Cubans, who he would find out later were also CIA, doing in Democratic Headquarters. 

Well, Unlucky for Richard Nixon and Company, Bob Woodward and his Reporting Partner, Carl Bernstein, were now on the job of uncovering what was at that period of time the most incredible political scandal that anyone could conceive of, never mind remember.

Woodward and Bernstein were guests on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week celebrating their their Seminal book on Watergate, "All The Presidents Men" 50th Anniversary Edition.  

Speaking of celebrating books on Watergate my first Published book was "Letters To A Lost Nation: A Watergate Chronicle".  Like "All The President's Men" my book is also available in Paperback and E Book Format on Amazon.com. It is also available in several E Book Formats on Smashwords.com.

Quite Frankly anyone who is not familiar with Watergate may find tons of books available on Amazon on the subject.  Almost every one of the President's men who went to jail wrote a book about Watergate.  Judges and Prosecutors also wrote books on the subject.

Many of those individuals who were locked up as a result of the Watergate Scandal ended up doing OK later on in their lives.  I have already written about G. Gordon Liddy in a Previous Blog Post and Podcast.  Liddy has passed on but not without an odd but interesting and successful career as an Actor and Radio Host, among other things.

John Dean, the Young White House Counsel who Richard Nixon and his advisors, John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman clearly tried to set up as the Watergate Patsy turned the tables on Nixon, Ehrlichman and Haldeman and testified truthfully to the Senate Select Watergate Committee and to Federal Prosecutions of others involved in the scandal.  Although Dean still went to jail his sentence was much briefer than it would have been had he not cooperated with the Justice Department's prosecutions of many of the President's men.  

As I have said before The CNN Series on Watergate  featuring John Dean as the Narrator and Producer is excellent.  The Paramount Plus Series "Gaslit" also gives an interesting perspective on Watergate through the Nixon connected couple, John Mitchell and his Wife, Martha Mitchell.  John Mitchell was a Law Partner of Richard Nixon, who became United States Attorney General and the 1972 Campaign Manager of the Committee To Re Elect The President.  Mitchell went to jail while Richard Nixon went to his home in California after his resignation.  Martha Mitchell was known to cooperate with journalists including Woodward and Bernstein and apparently revealed to those Journalists quite a lot about what she knew about Watergate.

The History Channel is also featuring their 6 part Watergate Series today starting at 6:00 PM.  One more perspective on Watergate has been featured prominently on the excellent Showtime Series, "The First Lady".

As we watch the shocking revelations regarding Donald Trump during the January Sixth Committee Hearings Richard Nixon seems to be a bit more palatable in comparison.

Neither of these two bastards should have ever seen the inside of the White House, never mind been elected.  But they were elected and as Republicans seem to be hell bent on altering the political playing field all over the country it is time to remember the lessons of both Watergate and Treasongate.

Nixon is gone.  He will never be back in the White House again.

Trump is still around and he is poisoning the political system and getting ready to re enter the White House again in 2024.  

It is time to learn the lessons from the January Sixth Committee Hearings, as well as the Senate Watergate Hearings and keep the Monster From Mara Lago from rising again. 

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Echoes Of Watergate As The January 6th Committee Hearings Prepare To Begin

 Wednesday June 8th, 2022

My Dear America:

This Thursday Night at 8:00 PM The January Sixth Committee will begin a Prime Time Review of what they have uncovered through over a years worth of investigating what in the hell happened in and around The Capitol Building in Washington on January 6th, 2021.  Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year and a half it is likely that much of what the Committee has to say will be old news to most of us.  The Committee has promised, however, some breakthrough, bombshell revelations and I, like most of us in the world of reality, look forward to finding out what went on and why.  

Clearly Donald Trump and his Republican Allies, including Fox News are not nearly as anxious to have Trump's Dirty Laundry aired in Prime Time or in any time period on Television.

As we prepare to watch the January Sixth Hearings I am having some feelings of Deja Vu as I think back to what I felt was the most exciting Television Spectacular Series that I ever saw during the 1970's, The Senate Watergate Hearings.

I wrote a lot at the time during the Watergate Hearings, which I was lucky Enough or unlucky enough, depending on how you looked at it, to get to watch nearly every day.  I was recovering from surgery at the time and the Watergate Hearings were pretty much the only Television Programming on during the day for a lengthy period of time.  I became hooked quickly and the more that was revealed during the Watergate Hearings the more horrified I became.

I began reacting to the Watergate Hearings by copying a technique that I had learned from a book by Albert Camus'.  I began writing letters addressed to "My Dear America" commenting on what I was seeing, hearing and feeling during the daily hearings.  

(Let me stop here and advise the readers of this Blog that I turned my largely emotional reactions to the Senate Watergate Hearings into a book titled "Letters To A Lost Nation: A Watergate Chronicle".  My book is probably not the most comprehensive book on Watergate.  Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Books, "All The President's Men" and "The Final Days" would probably fit the bill on that score.  My book does, however, give a fairly sincere reaction of an average American to the Incredible scandal that was Watergate.  For anyone interested in buying my book it is available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and in several other E Book Formats on Smashwords.com)

I do recommend my book for anyone who wants to read  the details of "A Brief History Of Watergate" and a comprehensive listing of Major Figures involved in the Watergate Scandal, as well as my reactions to the testimony of many Watergate Figures and an effort to follow up on what happened years later to those Major Watergate Figures.

To make a long story very short "Watergate" was essentially the following:

A Security Guard at the upscale Washington D.C. Apartment, Hotel and Office Complex called the "Watergate" discovered during the morning of June 17th, 1972 that one of the doors to the Watergate had tape on the lock and he called the D.C. Police who while checking the Watergate Complex discovered 5 Individuals in the offices of the Democratic Party.  One of the individuals arrested was James McCord, who was a retired CIA Officer.  The other 4 individuals arrested were Cubans who also had ties to the CIA.  Through dogged investigation by Woodward and Bernstein and other Journalists, the D.C. Police and the FBI the Watergate "Burglars" were tied to E. Howard Hunt (Another Former CIA Officer) and G. Gordon Liddy (A Former FBI Agent).  Both Hunt and Liddy had connections to the White House and also connections to the Committee To Elect The President (CREEP).  What followed the Watergate Break in was a shit show of epic proportions which led to numerous individuals connected to the White House and the Committee To Re Elect the President, not only getting fired, but also going to jail.

The Watergate Hearings were televised on every Network live for a good length of time.  The Senate Watergate Committee was made up of some of the most interesting individuals in the United States Senate on both the Republican And Democratic sides.  The hearings became a national obsession and were almost addictive to me.

During a discussion with Lawrence O Donnell following her MSNBC Program on Monday Night Rachel Maddow discussed the fact that she was an infant during the Watergate Hearings.  Listening to her discuss this with Lawrence O Donnell made me realize that many people might never have seen or even heard of The Senate Watergate Hearings that consumed much of my life during the Seventies.  

I don't know how addictive the January Sixth Committee Hearings will be.  It seems to me that many people in the United States have already made up their minds about Donald Trump and his Republican Supporters and, quite Frankly, if they haven't seen the light about Trump by now I don't think that they are going to pay much attention to what is coming in the Hearings.

I think that Watergate was a lesson for many and should have been a lesson to us all but obviously wasn't.  

Watergate was, for the most part, a corruption of the Nixon White House that spread from the top into various Government Agencies.  At the end of it Richard Nixon finally had the decency to resign.

Donald Trump also corrupted every Government agency he touched but even though he was impeached Twice he still attempted to hold onto power by means of a violent insurrection and an attempted Coup. We should have learned our lesson long ago from Watergate but apparently the lesson didn't take.

I would like to advise Anyone interested in watching some interesting Television and learning about Watergate at the same time to check out two very interesting Television Series.  

CNN has just begun broadcasting a Series on Watergate on Sunday Nights that is being produced and hosted by John Dean, who those who remember Watergate will recall was the man who was targeted by the powers that be in the Nixon White House to be the Patsy for Watergate but instead turned the tables on Richard Nixon and Company.  In the Watergate hearings Dean blew the doors off the White House.  Dean has been a contributor to CNN for years now.  It is about time that he got around to telling the Watergate Story.  So far it looks as though Dean and CNN are doing a good credible job in telling the true Watergate story.

Another take on Watergate is currently being presented on the Paramount Plus streaming Network.  The Show is called "Gaslit" and tells the story of Watergate and the Nixon White House from the perspective of Martha Mitchell, who was the wife of Attorney General and Committee To Elect the President Leader, John Mitchell, who was in the end also sacrificed by the White House in order to save Richard Nixon's Ass. This series stars Julia Roberts as Martha Michell and Sean Penn as John Mitchell.  I have to say that Sean Penn's makeup is incredible and so is that of Julia Roberts.  They both do an awesome acting job in addition to looking so much like the characters they portray.

It is interesting to me to watch these Television Series just as the shit is ready to hit the fan on Thursday night.  

It drives me crazy to see so many Republicans continue to stand with Donald Trump as he lies his ass off about how he was shafted out of his "Landslide Victory" in 2020.  Clearly no Republican in their right mind still believes this Bullshit Story.  But they continue to parrot Trump.  

I have a dream today that after watching the January Sixth Committee Hearings that Republicans everywhere will come to their senses and stop lying about Donald Trump's Landslide election victory.

I will continue to have this dream but I don't really have much faith that this dream will come true.

What I hope will come true is that every Democrat watching the January Sixth Hearings will get motivated enough to get ready to vote in the November Election for the Democrats who are running and telling the truth about January Sixth, 2020.

That Dream has a better chance of coming true.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

The Lone Gunmen's Club - How Many Deaths Will It take Till We Know That Too Many People Have Died

May 27th, 2022

My Dear America:

It has happened once again.

A Lone Gunman in Texas walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas this week after shooting his Grandmother and crashing a truck he had stolen.  When the tragic standoff with police was over The Gunman, Salvador Ramos, as well as two teachers and 19 Angelic looking Elementary Students were dead.

There are a number of Red Flags with regard to how this incident was handled by Law Enforcement Authorities, but the truth is that regardless of how you look at this situation, it is clear that if the young man who brought this Tragedy on Uvalde was not able to easily buy 2 Automatic Rifles and Ammunition legally it is doubtful that he would have been able to kill over 20 people.

Unfortunately in Texas it was all too easy for Salvador Ramos to buy his Automatic Rifles and carry out his desperate and Cruel last act.  The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott has done all he can to make Texas a place where Gun Enthusiasts can live their dreams of buying guns at Young Ages and carrying guns anywhere and any time they please.  

Abbott (A Republican) was furious this week when Beto O'Rourke (A Democrat who is running against Abbott for Governor) interrupted Abbott's Press Conference regarding the shooting.  Before Abbott had O'Rourke rudely hauled out of the Press Conference, Beto loudly confronted Abbott regarding his Right Wing Gun Policies.  Although O'Rourke was not able to get much of his point across at the Press Conference clearly O'Rourke will be having much more to say on the subject in the near future  

This may, in fact, be the straw that breaks Greg Abbott's back in the Gubernatorial Election.  

When it comes to the Issue of Gun Safety and Gun Violence in Texas it appears to me as though the wind is at Beto O'Rourke's back at the present time.

But getting back to Salvador Ramos.

He appears to be one more member of "The Lone Gunmen's Club", along with countless other Disturbed Loners, who have sought to give their lives meaning by taking the lives of others.  

It's a Club that began with Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, The Shooters at Columbine High School, who reacted to their classmates who bullied them with Gunfire.  The "Lone Gunmen's Club has continued to add members exponentially and almost uninterrupted since then.  Many of the hundreds of Columbine Copycats seem to point to the Columbine Killers as their inspiration to mow down their classmates or others Human Beings who they might encounter in Schools, Churches, Grocery Stores, Movie Theaters or elsewhere in the United States where people might gather in groups.

Clearly Republicans are correct when they point out that Mental Health is certainly an issue when it comes to mass shootings.  There is no doubt about that.  Clearly the Lone Gunmen are almost always, like Salvador Ramos and others, Young People that are outsiders who are picked on and bullied by others.

Ramos, for instance was picked on by some of his classmates because he had a stutter and a strong lisp and his Family had little money.  Some of his classmates made fun of his clothing.  In some cases some of his tormentors called him "School Shooter" as a term or derision.   He had few or no friends and as time went on and he was the target of his classmates beating him up he began to lash out violently against strangers, friends and Family.  some of his peers saw him as Weird, Rude and Scruffy.  He was known to like playing violent video games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty.  Once he showed up to play basketball with a friend with cuts on his face and told his friend that he cut himself for fun.

After continued problems at school Ramos dropped out of school and got a job working at a local Wendy's.  His manager noticed that he rarely interacted with other workers at the Fast Food Restaurant.  Ramos told some people that he wanted to go into the Marines just so he could kill people.  

He had no criminal history but he may possibly have had a Juvenile Record.  He had a history of physically fighting with others.

One thing was for sure, like many other members of "The Lone Gunmen's Club" this young man was clearly disturbed and should never have been able to buy a gun or in any way get his hands on a gun.

It is easy to look at what happened in Uvalde and hate this young man for what he did.  But it is time that all of us look at this and other situations like this and realize that our culture needs to wake up to reality.  It is probably not possible to prevent every Lone Gunman from carrying out what they might feel is their deadly destiny but some Sensible Gun Legislation is needed badly to stem the tide in which Disturbed People can easily get their hands on Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Certainly Congress can finally pass Gun Legislation demanding Sensible Background Checks for anyone purchasing a gun.

And Lets wake up to reality and return to doing  what we did in the Nineties when we passed an Assault Weapons Ban which we allowed to lapse.  

These could be two sensible pieces of legislation which might do something to prevent some murders.  

Certainly, what voters in Texas can do is get behind Democrat Beto O'Rourke and help him to defeat Republican, Greg Abbott in the race for Texas Governor.

And Democrats around the country can and should unite around candidates in their states who stand for sensible gun legislation.  

Enough of this Republican Bullshit that Okay's AR 15's for everyone and open carry guns for everyone.  

No Democrats are trying to keep Responsible Guns from Responsible People.

Hunters don't need to worry about Democrats taking their guns away.  Democrats are not looking to take guns from Hunters.  They never were.  That is simply NRA Bullshit Nonsense.  Many Democrats are Hunters also.

And if Republicans are concerned about increasing funds for Mental Health that's Great.  Lets see you start voting to put your money where your Mouths Are.

It is time for Republicans to stop standing in the way of progress and it is time for Voters to recognize that watching Fox News and that voting for Republicans is only going to continue to erode Democracy in America.  

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Big John And Little Josh - The Dynamic Duo Trying To Keep Democracy Alive In Pennsylvania

 May 14th, 2022

My Dear America:

Sections of the following Blog Post are copied from Candidates Website Biographies and Wikipedia and will be Identified using Bold Print.

First of all Little Josh Shapiro, who is running for Governor in Pennsylvania is not all that small.  Its just that standing next to Big John Fetterman, who stands over 6 feet, anyone under 6 feet looks Tiny.

Although both Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman are running two completely different and separate Election Campaigns in 2022 They are both Democrats running to keep Sanity and Democracy alive in Pennsylvania where they have both carved out successful Democratic Political Reputations in a state in which the state legislature contains some of the rightest of right wing nuts.

I feel sorry for my State Representative, Pete Schweyer, a Great Democrat who unfortunately has to put up with these Republican Screwballs every day in the Pennsylvania State Legislature.

But although Pete, Josh and John might be swimming against the tide in Pennsylvania the past state races indicate that there are still pockets of Sanity And Democratic Support in our state and my guess is that there always will be. 

Anyone checking out John Fetterman for the first time would almost certainly be tempted to bet that he is a Trump Supporter.  John is tall, tattooed, almost always dressed in a black tee shirt and looks as though he is ready for trouble.  

He is indeed ready for trouble and will undoubtedly be getting his share of trouble after he beats out his opponents in the Democratic Primary and moves on to face whichever Trump Ass Kissing Gun Toting Whack Job who ends up surviving the Republican Shark Attack Frenzy that is this year's Republican Primary for Senator and Governor. 

Regardless of the fact that Donald Trump disregarded his oath to protect  the Constitution for four years and ended his Presidency by staging a failed coup, The Monster from Mara Lago is still unbelievably and incredibly still a hero to many Republicans in the Keystone state.  Some of the Candidates on the Republican side of the Primary are some of the same people who tried to stage that Republican Coup, especially Doug Mastriano, a State Senator running for Governor, who masterminded a plot to bring the ridiculous Cyber Ninja "Audit" to Pennsylvania.  In so doing Mastriano was willing to release so much voter information that Democratic Legislators like Pete Schweyer blew the whistle on the fact that Mastriano's "Audit" could unleash epic  problems with regard to potential Identity theft.  Now that Mastriano is running for Governor his information about the "Audit" and his other shady and possibly illegal activities involving Trump have mysteriously disappeared from his website.

Getting back to John Fetterman.  Much of what I am going to include in the following paragraphs is quoted from John Fetterman's Campaign Website.

"A Pennsylvania native, John Fetterman was born to teenage parents just starting out on their own.  At the time his father worked nights to put himself through College.  John grew up in York, PA and followed in his fathers footsteps to Albright College (in Reading, Pennsylvania) where he played offensive tackle for the Lions.

At 23 John joined up with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and his life has never been the same.  

John Threw himself into the program mentoring his "little" - an 8 year old boy who had recently lost his father to AIDS and whose mother was also battling the disease.  Before she passed away, John promised her that he would continue to look out for her son and make sure that he graduated from College.  Fifteen years later, John and his "little" had both held up their ends of the bargain, with his little's graduation from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA.

But John wanted to do more.  He joined AmeriCorps and served in Pittsburgh's historic Hill District, where he helped set up the first computer labs in the neighborhood and taught GED classes to young mothers and fathers.

He went on to earn a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

John returned to Pennsylvania to start a GED program in the town of Braddock, one of the poorest and most challenged communities in the commonwealth.  In 2005, encouraged by his students, John ran for Mayor.  He managed to win the crowded primary by a single vote.  In his 13 years as Mayor, John worked to rebuild his community. In his 13 years as Mayor, John worked to rebuild his community, creating jobs, getting youth engaged and bringing creative urban policy solutions to Braddock.  The town now has a community center, urban gardens and a free store run by John's Wife, Gisele. 

Together John and Gisele have fought for causes they believe in, from immigration reform to LGBTQ + rights. When Pennsylvania lawmakers continued to push outdated discriminatory policies banning marriage equality, John stood up and officiated one of the first same sex marriages in Pennsylvania.  

And when they wanted to build a four lane interstate highway through Braddock, a town that's more than 80 percent Black and already suffered historically high asthma rates, John was the only elected official in western Pennsylvania who opposed it on the grounds that it was environmental racism.  

In 2016, John decided to run for U.S. Senate to confront the inequality crisis at the highest levels of government.  Although John lost the Democratic Primary, John confounded expectations, earning 20 percent of the vote as a relatively unknown candidate in a four way race.

Two years later, in 2018, John ran to be Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor, and this time dominated across the commonwealth, winning a five way Democratic Primary and a commanding victory in the general election.

As Lieutenant Governor, John has transformed the position and made a bully pulpit of the office, advocating for economic justice and criminal justice reform.  

Weeks after taking office, John embarked on a listening tour of all 67 counties, something no sitting Lt. Governor has ever done, to engage with Pennsylvanians about legalizing marijuana.  In three months the historic tour saw over 10,000 people turn out in person and tens of thousands more engage online.  Following John's final report and recommendations, the Governor announced his support for legalization of marijuana for the first time.

As the chair of Pennsylvania's Board of Pardons, John has led the fight to give second chances to non-violent longtime inmates and free those who have been wrongfully convicted.

He has taken numerous steps to overhaul the clemency process in Pennsylvania, including eliminating all fees associated with applying for a pardon, making the pardons application more user-friendly and working to move the application process online.  Under John's tenure, the Board has recommended more applicants for commutation of sentences than any Lieutenant Governor in decades.

While Lieutenant Governor, John and Gisele have chosen not to settle in the Lt. Governor's Mansion, instead opening up the pool in the official residence to children who typically wouldn't have access to one.  They live with their three children, Karl, 12, Gracie, 10 and August, 7 in a restored car dealership in Braddock with the family dog, Levi."

Clearly there is a huge difference between John Fetterman and his mainly Rich, mainly MAGA, Mainly Right Wing Republican Opponents.  John's background is a background of Community Service and concern about his Fellow Pennsylvania Citizens.  

Although Pennsylvania's Candidate for Governor, Josh Shapiro's background is quite different from that of John Fetterman's, his concern for improving the lives of his fellow Pennsylvanians is quite similar to that of John Fetterman. 

"Josh Shapiro was born in Kansas City, Missouri and was raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  At a young age Shapiro started a worldwide letter writing program on behalf of Russian Jewish Refuseniks.  Following his graduation from High School in Pennsylvania Shapiro attended the University of Rochester, where he majored in Political Science and in 1992 he became the first Freshman to win election as the University of Rochester's Student body President.  In 1995 he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rochester.

While working as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill in Washington during the day Shapiro enrolled at the Georgetown Law Center as an evening student and earned his Juris Doctor Law Degree in 2002.  In 2004 Shapiro ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 153rd District.  He won that election and won re Election in 2006, 2008 and 20010

Shapiro won election to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 2011.  The election marked the first time in history that the Republican Party lost control of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.  Shapiro became chairman of the Board of Commissioners.  In April 2015 Pennsylvania Democratic Governor named Shapiro Chair of The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Shapiro announced his intention to run for Pennsylvania Attorney General in January 2016.  Shapiro won election as Attorney General in November of 2016 and has done an outstanding job as Attorney General of Pennsylvania although some of his efforts as Attorney General have sometimes been controversial.

Shapiro joined with several other State Attorney's General opposing Donald Trump's travel ban.  He also filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of a rule that would have made it easier for employers to deny health insurance coverage of contraceptives.  He also joined a lawsuit against ITT Technical Institute, a for profit educational institute that resulted in a 168 million dollar settlement (with about 5 million Dollars of thre settlement going to Pennsylvania students).  In 2018 he reached an agreement with federal officials to prevent the distribution of blueprints for 3D Printed firearms.  In 2019 he came out in support of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults, joining Governor Tom Wolfe and other leading Pennsylvanians, including John Fetterman.

Prior to his election as Attorney General his predecessor had initiated an investigation of sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Catholic Church. Following his election Shapiro chose to move forward with the investigation and in August, 2018 he released the results of an extensive Grand Jury Report alleging more than a thousand children having been abused at the hands of 300 Catholic Priests."

Following the 2020 Election Josh Shapiro's office was consistently involved in fighting against ridiculous lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania alleging Voter Irregularities.  Shapiro was successful in fighting the Election lawsuits and was front and center on MSNBC and CNN protecting Election responsibility in Pennsylvania.

Clearly Big John Fetterman and Little Josh Shapiro are already on the job protecting Pennsylvania from MAGA Madness in the 2020 Election and determined to keep Democracy alive in Pennsylvania.

Both of the Democratic Candidates for Governor and United States Senator have an extensive and impressive track record which lays out what they stand for.  

Both Candidates are Progressive Democrats who support protecting Voting Rights, Reproductive Rights and Civil Rights.

They may differ in some areas but overall in what is increasingly becoming a dangerous and destructive MAGA world Big John and Little Josh stand out as the kind of Candidates that we could always count on to show up in important elections before Donald Trump and his Fake News Friends on Fox News, Newsmax and OAN showed up to put the screws to the important issues on which we have always depended Democratic Support.  

Somewhere along the line we have lost our bearings and being a "Democrat" or a "Liberal" was somehow turned into terms of degradation.  Somewhere along the line it became Okay to consistently lie over and over to the public and somehow people became convinced that Lies were the truth and the Truth were lies.

Luckily for me I live in Pennsylvania where at least for now we still have some fine Democrats who are on the right track and I certainly hope continue to care enough to seek high office in my state.

Thank you Josh Shapiro and John Fetterman for caring enough about our state and our people to put yourself out there as Candidates in 2022 for Governor and Senator.  I wish you both well and will certainly be voting for both of you in the upcoming elections.

We genuinely need you in Pennsylvania and Washington D.C..

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

   

Back To The Back Alley Again - Abortion Restrictions Are Returning - Or Are They

 Sunday, May 8th, 2022

My Dear America:

Abortion has not always been legal in the United States of America.

It has been legal for the last Fifty Years, though.  But it certainly seems as though that long time Legal Precedent is about to change radically according to the lengthy Supreme Court Document written by Justice Samuel Alito that has somehow oddly surfaced recently and has set off a firestorm of controversy in our country.  

Much of the Controversy on the Republican side has been Extreme Concern with Who released the Alito document.  Little has been said on the Republican side regarding the bombshell Alito opinion that may be about to return American Women back to the Back Alleys and Dark Ages of Women's Reproductive Rights in America.  

Women who I care about very deeply have sometimes been in situations in which after careful consideration they decided that for various reasons they needed to terminate a pregnancy.  These people were not criminals.  They were women who were faced with extremely hard choices as to whether or not have an abortion.  The decision to have an abortion is in all cases a heartbreaking one and one that is never easy to make.  

Clearly no woman choosing to have an abortion does it gleefully.  It is a painful decision in all cases.  There are many reasons for a woman to choose to have an abortion but in the last Fifty years since the Supreme Court decided the legal Precedent regarding  Roe V Wade at least Women who needed an abortion were safe from Dangerous Back Alley Butchers.

Women have always found ways to have abortions when they needed them.  At least Rich Women have found the resources necessary when they felt they needed to have an abortion.

Poor Women, on the other hand, were not always able to make the same choices regarding abortion. That is certainly the case now in Texas and other Abortion Restrictive States.  

What we are seeing at the present time is the result of many years of the Republican Party members lying about pretty much everything in this country and ending up controlling many State Legislatures and Governor's offices as a result. On the Federal level we have seen Mitch McConnell steal what should have rightfully been a Barack Obama Supreme Court Nomination and jam through Amy Coney Barrett's nomination, which rightfully should have been another Joe Biden pick.

I am lucky enough to live in Pennsylvania, a state with a Democratic Governor and Attorney General but unfortunately a Republican Controlled Legislature.

Our Attorney General, Josh Shapiro has helped, along with Democratic Governor, Tom Wolfe, to keep the Republican Madmen and Madwomen of the PA State Legislature from totally corrupting our state with Screwball Trumpian inspired Laws.  I only hope that Attorney General Shapiro wins the Governor's race in Pennsylvania and that Democrat, John Fetterman wins the U.S. Senate Race in an ongoing march toward Sanity in Pennsylvania Government.

If any of the Trump Ass Kissing Gun Toting Republican Candidates running for Governor or Senate win it is likely that Legal Abortion Rights in Pennsylvania, like those in many other states will be a thing of the past.

In his never ending quest for devotion and love from some of the worst elements of American Society Donald Trump was willing to make and keep a pact with the Devil (Namely, Mitch McConnell) and steal three Supreme Court Nominees that were approved by the Rightest of Right Wing organizations, the Heritage Foundation.

Although all three of Trump's Supreme Court Nominees (Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett) stated emphatically that Roe V Wade was "Established Precedent" what seems clear at the present time is that these Right Wing Nominated Judges may have been lying to the Senators who interviewed them in their Judiciary Committee Hearings and also in individual meetings with Senators not on the judiciary Committee. 

To be honest I am hopeful that the Leaked Alito Document is not the last word we will hear from the Supreme Court on Roe Versus Wade.  If it is then clearly we are up Shits Creek.  But so far the Alito Document is to my mind simply Judge Alito's Opinion and hopefully when the Supreme Court Members see the hornets nest that is about to erupt if and when Roe is overturned in such a cruel manner (No consideration for Rape or incest - Are You kidding me) perhaps the Court will come to its senses.

What is evident at this point in time is that we are seeing hard evidence that Elections Matter.  Clearly the Election of Donald Trump in 2016 has had devastating consequences in so many ways but if things stand the way they are now the Three Trump Appointees will be stripping us of our Rights for Many Decades to come.

When Joe Biden was inaugurated one of the first things that he did was to set in motion a study of what to do about the Supreme Court that was scheduled at some point to come up with ideas about what to do about the court.  I think the time has come for the Biden Administration to look at the Supreme Court Situation and take drastic action.  That drastic action could include nominating  as many as three more Supreme Court Judges.  

Yes, that drastic action will undoubtedly set off a firestorm in the Republican Party and it may lead to terrible consequences for Democrats but if it sets things right for the court it could be worth the sacrifices.

For as long as I can remember it seemed to me as though The Supreme Court was one of the most Capable and Respected aspects of the United States Government.  It seemed to me as though the kinds of people who were on the court were the best people that could be found.  When one or another individual was nominated who was not up to par the Senate would do their Advice and Consent duties.  Judge Bork, for example, didn't make it on the court.  The end result was the fact that in nearly all cases good respected capable people were nominated and approved for the Supreme Court.  Clearly that high standard is no longer applicable for Supreme Court Nominees.  

Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas have been accused of Sexual Misconduct.  Other Individuals may have good qualifications but have shown by their rulings that they are Right Wingers who should not be on the Supreme Court.

Finally, when it comes to Abortion and a Woman's Right to choose and in particular the Supreme Court Roe Versus Wade Decision We should realize that whatever the Supreme Court decides there will be serious consequences in the United States of America.  There have indeed already been serious consequences for Women in Texas, where anyone assisting a woman to  get an abortion faces the consequence of being sued by anyone in the state who wants to bankrupt the abortion assister.  One can only hope that Beto O'Rourke might be elected Governor of Texas and in so doing remove the Neanderthals from Government in Texas like Governor Greg Abbott.

One of my daughters who is very concerned about what happens with Roe V Wade sent me a recent Facebook post that she stated was something sent to her and apparently is going around Facebook right now.  I feel that this posting is much more powerful than anything I could write  presently to express my feelings about Judge Alito's disturbing document.  I appreciate and agree with the following statement that my daughter sent to me on Facebook and I hope that I am not infringing on anybody by using this powerful message in my Blog Post and Podcast.  I thank the writer of this incredibly powerful message and fully acknowledge that I didn't write this message although I wish I did and thank the writer for doing so.

Here goes:

"I'm not pro-murdering babies.

I'm Pro Becky who found out at her 20 week anatomy scan that the infant she had been so excited to bring into this world had developed without sustaining organs.

I'm Pro Susan who was sexually assaulted on her way home from work, only to come to the horrific realization that her assailant planted his seed in her when she got a positive pregnancy test result a month later.

I'm Pro Theresa who hemorrhaged due to a placental abruption causing her parents, spouse, and children to have to make the impossible decision on whether to save her or her unborn child.

I'm Pro little Cathy who had her innocence ripped away from her by someone she should have been able to trust and her 11 year old body isn't mature enough to bear the consequence of that betrayal.

I'm Pro Melissa who's working two jobs just to make ends meet and has to choose between bringing another child into poverty or feeding the children she already has because her spouse walked out on her

I'm Pro Brittany who realizes that she is in no way financially, emotionally or physically able to raise a child.

I'm Pro Emily who went through IVF, ending up with SIX viable implanted eggs requiring a selective reduction in order to insure the safety of her and a SAFE amount of fetuses.

I'm Pro Christina who doesn't want to be a mother, but birth control methods sometimes fail.  

I'm Pro Jessica who is FINALLY getting the strength to get away from her physically abusive spouse only to find that she is carrying the monster's child.

I'm Pro Vanessa who went into her confirmation appointment after YEARS of trying to conceive only to hear silence where there should be a heartbeat.

I'm Pro Lindsay who lost her virginity in her sophomore year with a broken condom and now has to choose whether to be a teenage mom or just a teenager.

I'm Pro Courtney who just found out that she's already 13 weeks along, but the egg never made it out of her fallopian tube so either she terminates the pregnancy or risks dying from internal bleeding.

You can argue and say that I'm pro-choice all you want but the truth is:

I'm pro-life

Their lives

Women's lives

You don't get to pick and choose which scenarios should be accepted

Women's rights are meant to protect ALL women, regardless of their situation."

My guess is that this powerful statement was written by someone working with women in situations like those listed in the statement, Possibly a Doctor or Nurse. The statement makes it clear that that there is far more to pregnancy and abortions than simply forcing women to have babies, regardless of their circumstances.

Women deserve to make their own choices regarding what does or does not happen with their pregnancies.  Women deserve the respect of knowing that what happens with their bodies is their choice along with their doctor and no Doctor, Nurse, Secretary or Uber Driver should ever be threatened with jail or being sued because they helped a woman get an abortion.  

We are getting closer and closer to living in a Handmaids Tale existence and no one in their right mind wants that.

I would suggest that anyone who has had to deal with some of the horror stories listed in the previously quoted Facebook Statement on abortion put their stories on You Tube similarly to what was done in the "Me Too" movement.

I would also like to suggest that those of us who are unwilling to live in a real life "Handmaid's Tale" get on the phone to their Senators, especially their Republican Senators and demand that they get busy and codify reasonable Women's Reproductive Rights Legislation now before Samuel Alito's dream becomes a reality.

We should also advise our Reproductive Concerned friends in Congress that instead of only being concerned about keeping a fetus alive that they should give some concern to what happens after a child is born.  Republicans seem to give little or no thought to what happens after a child is born. 

And while we are at it lets let our Senators know that they should wise up when it comes to Advising and Consenting regarding Supreme Court Judges.  

The Rude and Abusive Treatment by some Republican Senators of Judge Katanji Brown in the Judiciary Committee Hearings was disgusting.  

The Republicans should have been thrilled that Joe Biden had nominated a highly qualified and distinguished jurist like Judge Jackson for the Supreme Court.  Instead they treated her Horribly.  She weathered the storm , however, and will soon be joining the court but not in time to prevent this disaster.  

Hopefully Joe Biden might consider putting some additional members on the Supreme Court.

I hear that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton might be available.

I certainly hope that the Justices of the Supreme Court realize what an awesome responsibility they have and follow through on their pledges not to overturn the "Established Precedent" that they vowed never to alter in their Judiciary Hearings and meetings with Senators and Members of Congress.

Roe Versus Wade is clearly a Fifty Year Established Precedent and should not be overturned, Ever.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher