Matt Gaetz, the smirking congressional representative for my old home district in the Florida Panhandle, is under federal investigation for possibly hiring sex workers (which I admit doesn’t shock me much as a crime) and paying a 17-year-old girl to travel across state lines (that I find way creepier). According to a couple of lawmakers, he also liked showing his colleagues naked photos of women he’d slept with. He went on Tucker Carlson to declare the whole thing an extortion scheme by crooked lawyers, volunteering the information that he’s never been photographed with child prostitutes — which nobody to date has accused him of (and if they’re underage sex workers, then it’s statutory rape again, not prostitution). Unsurprisingly, QAnonites, despite their delusions about sex trafficking conspiracies, believe he’s innocent.
By a strange coincidence, Gaetz also voted against a human-trafficking bill a couple of years back. And here’s some details about his friend Joel Greenberg, an impressively sleazy sleaze — which is relevant because the FBI’s eye fastened on Gaetz as they were pursuing his buddy.
Eight, nine months ago when it looked like it might be two or three years before we had the Trump Virus under control, I could understand people just giving up. But now? With lots and lots of virus becoming available? Surely we can hold on and take extra steps to keep it under control a little while longer? Not according to Wisconsin judges (dissent dissecting the ruling here). Or Florida Governor Ron deSantis, who opposes vaccine passports and wants to stop businesses requiring them from customers. Culture war apparently trumps even the supposedly sacrosanct right of businesses to set their own rules. Which is actually not new. And despite their support for low taxes, Georgia just stripped Delta of some state tax breaks for opposing Georgia’s war on voting. I wonder how they’ll react to baseball pulling the All-Star game from Atlanta?
On the bright side, while GOP won’t protect us from COVID, but it’s out to save us from the non-existent threat of trans people. Protect us from guns? Of course not.
False prophet Nathan French claims his prophecy of a Trump victory was right — it’ll happen in April. Meanwhile, President Biden continues unmaking Trump’s agenda, in this case some of his overseas anti-LGBTQ policies. And dismissing some of Trump’s EPA advisors. And unlike the Obama years, Biden knows to fill empty judicial seats. Oh, but the GOP have nailed him now — his infrastructure bill includes spending on things such as the power grid, water pipes and non-car transportation.
A black activist confronts the police in former Klan country. Another town broils over when two cops take part in the Sedition Day insurrection.
Yet another Sedition Day militant learns he shouldn’t have gone public.
The century-old Antiquities Act allows the president to designate federal land as national monuments, protecting it from development. Chief Justice John Roberts wants to put a stop to that.
Someone ramming their car into the barricade around the Capitol has killed a cop. But a minister thinks disallowing people inside the Capitol area targets his religious freedom to hold a prayer vigil there. Interestingly, the three individuals named in the lawsuit are Vice President Harris, Rep. Pelosi and the female Senate Sergeant at Arms. I think the dude has issues.
Fraser Sherman's Blog 