US negotiators are meeting in Geneva today with representatives from Ukraine and Europe in an emergency session brought on by our corrupt, madman leader’s outrageous threats this week to end all support for Ukraine by this Thursday (hey, why not? What about Friday?) if they don’t agree to a Russian crafted plan to end the conflict.

Events are likely to over take this post today, but we learned a few things yesterday worth sharing……

First, this horribly corrupt and dangerous plan (see my post from yesterday for more) was forged in part here in the United States in late October by Special Envoy Witkoff, Jared Kushner and a Putin emissary Kirill Dmitriev (yes a sanctioned Russian was allowed to enter the US).

It must be noted that Dmitiriev is a banker, not a diplomat, who runs one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, and that this new American-backed proposal has various provisions that would enrich American investors and Trump itself. So I can write here without hyberbole that Witkoff-Kushner-Trump (and Vance) are attempting to sell out Ukraine, Europe, and democracies throughout the world in part to enrich themselves.

Second, Secretary of State Rubio, who is also the national security advisor to Trump, told alarmed Senators on a call yesterday that the plan was a Russian wish list not backed by the US. A few hours later he reversed course, and claimed that in fact it was an American plan not a Russian one. The lying, incompetence, confusion, recklessness, malevolence – it’s all jawdropping, and incredibly dangerous. Here’s how the NYT described these extraordinary turn of events:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the United States “authored” a 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, after a Republican senator asserted that Mr. Rubio had distanced himself from the proposal and called it a Russian initiative.

Mr. Rubio made the assertion on social media after Senator Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota, said Mr. Rubio had earlier on Saturday held a call with a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers attending a security conference in Canada. Mr. Rounds said that in the call, Mr. Rubio had suggested that it was a Russian proposal, not a U.S. plan.

“He made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives,” Mr. Rounds said Saturday at a news conference at the Halifax International Security Forum, speaking about Mr. Rubio. “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan.”

Mr. Rounds said Mr. Rubio “made it clear that it was an opportunity to have received” the plan. “You now have one side being presented, and the opportunity for the other side to respond,” Mr. Rounds said. Some critics of the plan have said it would force Ukraine to make unreasonable concessions to Russia.

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, on Saturday denied an allegation that the plan was essentially a Russian wish list, saying that this was “blatantly false.”

“As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians,” Mr. Pigott wrote on social media.

The plan, which was initially negotiated between the United States and Russia without direct Ukrainian involvement and has not officially been made public but has been widely leaked, would involve Ukraine ceding land it currently holds, limiting the size of its military and foregoing any attempt to join NATO. In the past, Ukraine has rejected these steps as a capitulation, and Ukraine’s allies have pushed back against the proposal.

Lots of reporting this morning that Vance is the lead in this traitorous new effort to appease Putin and throw Europe and Ukraine under the bus:

And this from a top WSJ reporter:

All of this is happening now in my view because Trump’s decline is accelerating, everyone knows it, and factions in the regime are starting to make power graps and go full on Game of Thrones on one another……..

What is happening here is incredibly dangerous and not fucking OK. We need to hit the phones at 9am EST tomorrow and demand that our Congressional leaders fight this incredible, historic sell out of our national interests and appeasement of Putin.

Trump was rebuked a few weeks ago when the Senate voted three times to roll back his terrible tariffs. He was rebuked again, powerfully, in the 2025 elections. Last week Congress delivered one of the most aggressive legislative rebukes of a President in all of our history. And now we must rebuke him again for this outrageous “plan” and attempt to sell out Ukraine, Europe, and democracies all across the world, including our own.

We need to be loud — very, very loud.

Call Your Senators and Member Of The House And Demand They Act to save Ukraine and Our Republic 

1. Stand with Ukraine and our European allies, and far more forcefully challenge Trump’s traitorous efforts to sell out the US and the West to Russia; demand Congress rebuke/issue a no confidence vote on his 28 point “plan”
2. Roll back Trump’s terrible, illegal tariffs that are re-igniting inflation, driving up prices, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to working people, hurting small businesses and farmers, reviving tyrannical “taxation without representation,” and alienating governments and people throughout the world
3. Defend our democracy, rule of law, and our liberties by blocking the expansion of ICE, restoring due process for immigrants across the country, vigorously defending the 1st Amendment, warring against his outrageous targeting of his domestic political opponents, and ending the use of the military on our streets and the unlawful occupation of our cities
4. Fight Trump’s war on science, higher education and our public health; reverse – not delay – the cuts to the ACA and Medicaid; support and co-sponsor Rep. Haley Stevens’ effort to Impeach and remove Robert Kennedy

 

The past 48 hours make it clear: Trump is not simply incompetent.  In fact, he is ignorant and incompetent; he’s a Mafia boss who attacks anyone who disagrees with him; he has the mental maturity of a 13-yr-old who takes delight in attacking people; he’s an 80-yr-old man in early stages of dementia; and — worst of all — he sees himself as a dictator in the mold of Putin or Hitler.

 This post on Bluesky says it all:

Here’s how the NYT described Trump’s calls for the hanging of Democratic lawmakers:

President Trump accused a group of Democratic lawmakers of sedition in an outburst on social media Thursday morning and said their behavior was “punishable by death.”

Their crime? Recording a video that reminded members of the military that they are not supposed to obey illegal orders.

“SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Mr. Trump wrote in one post. He shared a different post, written by another person, that said: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

The video that enraged the president had been put out online two days ago by six Democratic lawmakers, all of whom had served in either the military or intelligence community themselves.

Here’s the video from Senators Kelly and Slotkin, and House Members Crow, Deluzio, Goodlander and Houlihan, that reminded service members that it was their duty to refuse to follow illegal orders:

We are also all less safe for Trump has formally sided with Russia against Ukraine and our former European allies. Watch this 4 minute video from Timothy Snyder for a terrific explanation of what our traitorous leader is attempting to do.

Stories of Trump’s weakening are now everywhere in our discourse. Some examples:

• Congressional Republicans Begin To Look Beyond Trump – NYT front page
• Behind the Curtain: Republicans see dire 2026 warning signs in these 5 polls – Axios
• Donald Trump’s No-Good November – Washington Post
• In Culture War Backlash, Democrats Sweep School Boards – Politico
• Donald Trump Is A Lame Duck Now – New Republic
• Democrats Expand Lead In US House Polls This Week – Strength In Numbers

As I wrote yesterday I think Republicans, and the Capital, are waking up to the gravity of the damage Trump has done and continues to do the country, his unprecedented corruption and venality, and to his extraordinary unpopularity and political decline. For Republicans keep seeing headlines like this:

And as Rep. Robert Garcia explained to us yesterday the Epstein files are going to come out, one way or another, and this already devastating Trumpian scandal is almost certainly going to get much, much worse for Republicans. This morning, Rep. Garcia, the Ranking Member Of The House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to the Attorney General reminding her that the DOJ was legally obligated to turn over all the Epstein files and end their rancid cover up. From his release:

Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to emphasize to Attorney General Bondi that the subpoena from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform requires the full, unredacted Epstein files to be turned over to the Committee, including any classified materials and information tied to ongoing investigations, while still protecting the identities of survivors and potential victims. The letter comes following a statement by Donald Trump that “the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to,” and amid concerns that President Trump will exploit a provision of the recently-passed Epstein Files Transparency Act, which allows the DOJ to withhold information relevant to ongoing investigations. After Donald Trump failed to defeat the bill, he launched politically motivated investigations of political opponents.

“Despite signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, it’s crystal clear that Donald Trump and Pam Bondi may use language in the law to slow or stop release of the files by launching a new bogus Epstein investigation. The Oversight Committee subpoena does not allow the Administration to hold back the Epstein files for any reason. Oversight Democrats will continue to apply pressure and make it clear there is no justification for any cover up,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

Republicans are waking up to how bad this really all is; how it is likely to get worse, much more worse; and how hard – if not impossible – it will be to run with Trump in 2026. For Trump is the worst President in our history. He has done enormous harm to the country. He is cartoonishly corrupt and lawless. The Epstein scandal is shaping up to be the most consequential in our history. He tore down the East Wing of the White House to build himself a gilded ballroom for fuck’s sake. I am sure talk of jettisoning him will grow. But as the stories of his selling out of Ukraine, his threats to hang lawmakers, and illegally invade another country also tell us he is not just a lame duck, a failure, and a fuck up, he is also desperate and dangerous, an out of control sundowning madman of the world’s most powerful nation.

Trump spent Nov 20 morning calling a group of military veterans in Congress traitors and saying they “should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.” Their crime, in Trump’s eyes, was their release Tuesday of a video reminding military and intelligence officers that they must refuse illegal orders.

The video features Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Jason Crow (D-CO). Slotkin is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. Kelly was a captain in the U.S. Navy. Deluzio served in the U.S. Navy. Goodlander is a former intelligence officer. Houlahan served in the Air Force. Crow is a former paratrooper and Army Ranger.

Speaking in turns in the video, the lawmakers say:

“We want to speak directly to members of the military and the intelligence community who take risks each day to keep Americans safe. We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military, but that trust is at risk. This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.

“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders; you must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution. We know this is hard and that it’s a difficult time to be a public servant. But whether you’re serving in the CIA, the Army, our Navy, the Air Force, your vigilance is critical.”

“Know that we have your back, because now, more than ever, the American people need you. We need you to stand up for our laws, our Constitution, and who we are as Americans.

They end with the famous line delivered by Captain James Lawrence, who commanded USS Chesapeake in 1813 when it engaged in a naval battle with HMS Shannon during the War of 1812. In the battle, Lawrence was mortally wounded. As his men carried him below, he ordered:

“Don’t give up the ship.”

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller promptly posted on social media, “Democrat lawmakers are now openly calling for insurrection,” but Trump did not appear to notice the video yesterday when he was entertaining Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, known as MBS, at the White House. But something had called his attention to it by last night—perhaps Crow’s appearance on Martha MacCallum’s Fox News Channel show last night in which his advocacy for the military appeared to throw her off balance.

Trump reposted comments from a Washington Examiner article about the video that called for the lawmakers to be arrested, “thrown out of their offices,” “frog marched out of their homes at 3:00 AM with FOX News cameras filming the whole thing,” and “charged with sedition.” He reposted “Insurrection. TREASON!” and a message from a user who wrote: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

At 9:08 this morning, Trump posted, “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand—We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET. President DJT”

At 9:17 he reposted the Washington Examiner article with the note: “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP??? President DJT”

At 10:21 he posted: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”

And so an American president called for the arrest and execution of elected lawmakers.

Restating the law is not sedition, and Fox News Channel legal analyst Andy McCarthy promptly wrote: “There is no insurrection or sedition without the use of force. Disobeying a lawful order is insubordination, not insurrection or sedition. Disobeying an unlawful order is required. That is all.”

Professor of the early American republic Joanne Freeman wrote that she was “[n]ot going to repost DJT’s howling threats against Democratic lawmakers. I’ll just say: 1. We still have free speech here. 2. People can still oppose the president. 3. No—George Washington wouldn’t have hanged the lawmakers because HE WAS VERY CAREFUL TO STAY STRICTLY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF HIS OFFICE AS PRESIDENT. He didn’t want to be a king or dictator. Plus, he was in his right mind.”

By noon, the White House was doing cleanup. At 1:58, CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe reported from Reuters: “TRUMP DOES NOT WANT TO EXECUTE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS,” an astonishing sentence to see coming from the government of the United States of America.

Hours later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to defuse the crisis of the president calling for the execution of members of Congress by claiming the Democratic lawmakers were the ones encouraging violence. When asked about it, Leavitt said, “They are literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members to defy the chain of command, not to follow lawful orders.” A reporter interrupted: “Actually, they said…illegal orders.” Leavitt claimed, “They’re suggesting…that the president has given illegal orders, which he has not. Every single order that has given [sic] to this United States military by this commander-in-chief and through this chain of command through the secretary of war is lawful.”

In fact, Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube, and Dan De Luce of NBC News reported yesterday that the senior judge advocate general, or JAG, at U.S. Southern Command in Miami, the command that oversees the U.S. strikes on the small boats near Venezuela, expressed concern that the 82 deaths from the strikes were extrajudicial killings. If so, they would expose service members participating in the operations to legal repercussions.

According to the reporters, the opinion of a command’s top JAG on the legality of a military operation typically would determine whether the operation went forward. It is possible for higher officials to overrule their findings, but their concerns are typically addressed before the operation begins. In this case, though, the reporters write, officials at the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department and other senior government officials overruled him.

This new information adds fuel to the concerns of lawyers and lawmakers of both parties about the legality of the boat strikes just as lawmakers are pushing back on the administration’s refusal to honor the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the president to get Congress’s permission to continue strikes for more than 60 days. That deadline passed on November 2, and now the administration appears to be considering a broader assault on Venezuela.

On Tuesday, November 18, Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY), top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Smith (D-WA), top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee; Jim Himes (D-CT), top Democrat of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Bennie Thompson (D-MS), top Democrat of the House Homeland Security Committee; Jason Crow (D-CO), top Democrat of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations; and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced a War Powers Resolution to stop the administration, as they said, “from continuing to use U.S. Armed Forces to conduct strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, operations the administration has carried out for more than 60 days without congressional authorization.”

In the last week, Trump’s iron grip on congressional Republicans has appeared to be slipping. All but one member of Congress voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and then enough Republicans crossed the aisle to sign a second discharge petition to force a House vote on a bipartisan bill to repeal Trump’s executive order stripping union protections from federal workers. If there is anything but a demand for absolute power behind his insistence that Democrats are traitors, it might be a hope of winning wavering Republicans away from budding bipartisanship and back to his MAGA standard.

Some Trump loyalists did indeed jump to the president’s defense. More stayed silent.

After Trump’s threats, the six lawmakers who made the video—Slotkin, Kelly, Deluzi0, Goodlander, Houlahan, and Crow—issued a statement:

“We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.

“What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our servicemembers should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty.

“But this isn’t about any one of us. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity.

“In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated.

“Don’t Give Up the Ship!”

Dog ate the jobs report

During yesterday’s votes by the House and Senate to release the Epstein files, there was one and only one NO vote — cast by Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana.

Higgins tells us he is a “fine Christian man.”

He is currently with wife number four.

Higgins is a real charmer by nature and nurture — he held a gun to his first wife’s head during an argument, and was a mere $140,000 behind in child support with another ex-wife.

In 2021, he challenged a person to a boxing match for calling him a traitor for his vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election.

Higgins’s self-identifies as a white supremacist. He is perhaps the most repulsive member of Congress today.

Higgins — not Trump — is the face of the MAGA republicans seeking re-election in 2026.

Here’s a bit of Higgins’ wisdom:

“The free world… all of Christendom… is at war with Islamic horror. Not one penny of American treasure should be granted to any nation who harbors these heathen animals. Not a single radicalized Islamic suspect should be granted any measure of quarter. Their intended entry to the American homeland should be summarily denied. Every conceivable measure should be engaged to hunt them down. Hunt them, identity [sic] them, and kill them. Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.”
— Clay Higgins post on Facebook, June, 2017

First, here are the final results from the 2025 Virginia elections:

• Abigail Spanberger defeated Winsome Earle-Sears by 15+ points (57.6%-42.2%);
• Ghazala Hashmi defeated John Reid by 11.5 points (55.6%-44.1%);
• Jay Jones defeated Jason Miyares by nearly 7 points (53.1%-46.5%);
• Democrats flipped 13 Republican-held House of Delegates seats, going from a 51D-49R House of Delegates narrow majority to a massive 64D-36R House of Delegates majority.

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Here’s another interesting graphic.  Note that Spanberger won the First and Second Congressional Districts.  These two Districts are “represented” in the US House of Representatives by Republican MAGAts:  Rob Wittman in VA-01 and Jen Kiggans in VA-02.  BOTH ARE VULNERABLE IN NOVEMBER 2026 and these results are very good for Democrats.