Tag: Mitch McConnell

Gun Safety Legislation, Military, National Security, Politics, Public Safety September 18, 2019January 7, 2020

Are Gun Deaths Higher in States Without Common Sense Gun Laws? Yes, Indeed!

Washington (GGM) Analysis | September 18, 2019
by Noreen Wise

There are many states who began passing common sense gun legislation to curb gun violence and are now experiencing the benefits. Lives have been saved. Communities are safer. Thus, it’s very clear why more than 90% of Americans are demanding that local, state and federal legislators do something.

Diving deeper to assess which states have passed which bills, it soon becomes crystal clear that the permissive gun states that have allowed gun ownership to go unchecked, are the states with the highest gun violence deaths. This makes sense, which again is why more than 90% of Americans, many millions of whom are gun owners, are demanding action.

How can Mitch McConnell hold a blind eye to this reality? Why is Mitch McConnell suddenly saying that he can’t allow any bill that Trump won’t sign to be brought to the floor for a vote? This is illogical and unconstitutional. The Legislative Branch is separate from the Executive and McConnell is at the helm of the Senate in the Legislative Branch. Going rogue and eliminating a vital check & balance, especially when it comes to the safety and protection of the American people, should be grounds for having him removed as Senate Majority Leader.

Connecticut is an excellent example of passing common sense gun laws that have served residents well and saved thousands of lives.

The Sandy Hook massacre of 20 innocent first graders and 6 adults occurred on December 14, 2012
In idyllic Newtown, Connecticut
On April 3, 2014…. less than 4 months after the traumatizing horror, the bipartisan state legislature passed sweeping gun reform
State Permit is required to purchase both long guns and hand guns
Registration is required through Department of Emergency and Public Protection for log guns & handguns, gun tracked by authorization number and DPS-3-C form
Partial ban on assault rifles: no new sales/purchases of assault rifles; banned ARs already owned, must be registered, if owner wants to sell AR, can only sell to licensed gun dealer

Magazine Capacity Restriction: any magazine that holds greater than 10 rounds is considered an LCM (Large Capacity Magazine); all LCMs were banned when new law went into effect, cannot be sold or transferred; existing owners had to register LMs by
Permit Required for Concealed Carry: owner must meet requirements, and abide by two-step process, first, 60-day temporary permit issued by local authorities, Second, 5 year permit issued by DESPP
Permit Required for Open Carry: MUST have a license to open carry
Vehicle Carry: Must have valid pistol permit to carry loaded gun in car, otherwise must be unloaded and firearm and ammunition stored in separate locked containers; if car left unattended, firearm must be locked in trunk or glove box
Castle Doctrine: not the exact same as “stand your ground,” but if intruder enters home or yard and owner has permit and “reasonable force,” courts provide civil immunity
Background Checks: required for private party transfer and must be performed by federally licensed dealer
Red Flag Law: allows police to obtain a court warrant and seize guns from anyone posing a risk to others or themselves once they investigate and determine probable cause

Connecticut’s sweeping common sense gun laws are some of the most reasonable and effective in the country and serve as a very sensible model to follow. In 2019, Connecticut ranks in the top 5 states with the lowest number of gun deaths per capita.

Hawaii
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New York
Connecticut

The top 5 states with the highest number of per capita gun deaths are five red states with permissive gun laws:

Alaska – most permissive gun ownership in country, must be 21, complete handgun competency course, no permit required to carry, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Montana – must be 18, open & concealed carry legal without permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Alabama – must be 18, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry legal without permit, concealed carry needs pistol permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Louisiana – must be 17, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, concealed carry is legal with a permit, open carry requires no permit, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Missouri – must be 19, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry and concealed carry both legal without permit, but gun owners can obtain a concealed carry permit (CCP) if they’d like one, local authorities are able to restrict in certain locations, Castle Doctrine, done

The Connecticut common sense gun laws respect the 2nd Amendment, while simultaneously protecting the American public’s expectation to live in a safe community. Colt is headquartered in Connecticut, and yet these bipartisan common sense gun laws passed in record time following the Sandy Hook massacre.

If more than 90% of the American public are demanding common sense gun laws, and the data proves the effectiveness, it doesn’t make sense to sit on the sidelines and hold a blind eye to such convincing proof that common sense gun laws save lives, maybe your own.

Legislative Branch, Mueller, Senate April 25, 2019April 25, 2019

Silent GOP Senators Are the Force That Enables Trump’s Obstruction of Justice

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Opinion | April 25, 2019) – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s silence is deafening. It appears that McConnell didn’t even read the Mueller Report. Or Lindsey Graham for that matter. The GOP game-altering “silence is complicity” perspective in 2018, led to the blue tsunami sweep on November 6, 2018. The Senate overhaul will be next.

Twenty-one months of GOP silence now has Trump by the throat. It’s the very reason why Mueller’s obstruction investigation uncovered so much evidence. The very reason why Mueller can’t exonerate Trump. If McConnell and the GOP Senators had followed-through with their sworn oath to the Constitution, Trump wouldn’t be able to obstruct. It’s become a Catch-22. Mitch McConnell and GOP Senators are enablers of Trump’s obstruction of justice, allowing him free reign to obstruct. Are GOP leaders now part of Trump’s criminal enterprise, or has their long game always been Trump’s demise? McConnell’s silence will eventually lead to Trump’s destruction, as well as his own. The ultimate goal in 2020 is to flip the Senate and the White House. McConnell’s pro-Putin, anti-American Constitution obstructionism will finally become the nail in his coffin.

McConnell has only made one official statement since the release of the Mueller report and it is completely unapologetic of any of Trump’s ludicrous attempts to subvert the United States legal system.

“I’m grateful for the Attorney General’s diligent work to release as much of the Special Counsel’d report as possible to Congress and to the American people. The nation is fortunate to have an experienced leader like Bill Barr in place to ensure maximum possible transparency while carefully protecting classified material and legally restricted grand jury information. Like all of my colleagues, I look forward to carefully reviewing the report.” ~Mitch McConnell, April 18, 2019

Lindsey Graham, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is in a state of denial. The statements in his tweet read like lies, except that he does clarify that they’re IMO (“To me”). But is it appropriate for the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to spin the Mueller Report in this way, or does he feel justified in doing so because he’s simply following Barr’s lead? Isn’t Graham obligated to adhere to professional standards in this leadership position?

Sad. The gagged Senate GOP has become the springboard that will lead to Trump’s “day with destiny” (Neal Katyal) much sooner than otherwise.

Legislative Branch, National Security, Russia, Trump February 21, 2019March 3, 2019

2012 GOP Emails | Have these been investigated? The prababilties

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | February 21, 2019) – With the Mueller Investigation ending as soon as next week, and with the recent understanding that the GOP emails hacked by Russia but never released, were likely used to blackmail GOP leaders, particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and should be investigated. It seems that the most likely GOP emails hacked by Russia, emails that would make ideal blackmail material, are the ones from 2012, in addition to the time leading up to 2012 and year following.

On January 10, 2017 – FBI Director James Comey informed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that in the spring of 2016, at the same time the DNC email servers were penetrated by Russian hackers, the RNC was also hacked, along with state level GOP organizations. Apparently, the RNC intrusion was an older server that was no longer in use, thus the emails mined were dated earlier than those confiscated from the DNC. No dates were shared with the public during Comey’s Intelligence hearing, other than Comey using phrases such as “not current” and “old stuff,” implying that the email dates were prior to January 2015. Coming using the words “state level GOP organizations” seems to imply GOP organizations connected with the presidential election, since these emails might be particularly inviting to Russian hackers, something we can identify with following the GOP stunts we learned of during the 2018 midterm elections.

Since the public is now fully aware of Russia’s laser-focus on U.S. presidential elections, it seems logical to hypothesize that Russia would hit pay dirt mining GOP servers from 2012 during Obama’s re-election campaign. In fact, Mitch McConnell appeared to be on a one-man mission to make “Obama a one-term president.” Further, 2012 was a very turbulent year, filled with numerous heart-wrenching tragedies that kept the American public riveted on the presidential candidate’s reactions to these emotional headlines as well as other big-named congressional leader’s responses.

If Russia wanted to blackmail GOP leaders, would they target Mitch McConnell? Yes, of course. Would they begin their search by Googling every major news headline of 2012, along with the search words “Mitch McConnell” and see what comes up? And then hunt for emails that add new meaning to the headlines? Most likely.

So what were the biggest news stories of 2012? Can Representative Adam Schiff of the House Intelligence Committee meet with the FBI behind closed doors to sift through these emails. Apparently, the FBI knows the dates of the stolen emails.

The following are several of the top 2012 new headlines that help paint a picture of what types of GOP emails Russian hackers may have uncovered during their deep dive into the RNC servers and several state GOP Orginizations servers:

Aurora theater massacre, July 20, 2012 |New York Magazine July 20, 2012, Twelve Killed, Dozens Injured in Midnight Massacre at Dark Knight Rises Premier in Colorado [Updated] – “…’We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes into the movie and all you hear, first you smell smoke, everybody thought it was fireworks or something like that, and then you just see people dropping and the gunshots are constant,’ said witness Christ Jones, speaking to Denver ABC affiliate KMGH. ‘I heard at least 20 to 30 rounds within that minute or two.’ Eyewitnesses described Holmes as wearing a bulletproof vest…” Were the any emails between the NRA and the GOP following this horrific massacre.
Benghazi, September 11, 2012 |The Washington Times, July 19, 2016 Mitch McConnell brushes aside boos – “CLEVELAND — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell launched an all-out assault on presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton late Tuesday and said the only way to repeal Obamacare, realign the Supreme Court and defund Planned Parenthood is to elect Donald Trump, even as members of his own caucus steer clear of the nominating festivities.Mr. McConnell brushed aside a cascade of boos from the convention hall and doled out a bit of payback for years of political jockeying with Mrs. Clinton and her famous husband, starting with their attempts to unseat him in Kentucky…” There are likely more than a million GOP emails on this subject alone.
Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012 |Huffington Post October 28, 2013, GOP Senators Who Opposed Sandy Relief Aid Fundraise Around One-Year Anniversary Of Storm – “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) may have opposed Hurricane Sandy recovery funding, but that reportedly did not stop them from visiting the northeast to raise money on the eve of the disastrous storm’s anniversary…”
Obama re-elected, November 6, 2012| Time August 23, 2012 “…It reveals some of my reporting on the Republican plot to obstruct President Obama before he even took office, including secret meetings led by House GOP whip Eric Cantor (in December 2008) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (in early January 2009) in which they laid out their daring (though cynical and political) no-honeymoon strategy of all-out resistance to a popular President-elect during an economic emergency. ‘If he was for it,’ former Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, ‘we had to be against it.’ The excerpt includes a special bonus nugget of Mitt Romney dissing the Tea Party…” Millions of emails from McConnell regrading Obama. McConnell was the arch-obstructionist, Obama’s greatest nemesis.
Sandy Hook massacre, December 14, 2012 |Boston Globe, April 10, 2013, Conley hits McConnell over gun control filibuster – “Conley singled out the Republican senator from Kentucky on Tuesday and urged him to ‘stop playing games’ and allow a vote on the bill. McConnell has said that he would join a group of 13 other Republican senators to filibuster a gun control bill that Democrats plan to bring to the Senate floor Thursday.” Did Russian hackers uncover emails between the NRA, the RNC and McConnell expressing that if McConnell wanted any NRA money for his 2014 re-election campaign, he better filibuster the gun control bill, endorsed by traumatized Sandy Hook parents, that was proceeding through Congress. The majority of Americans can visualize these types of emails existing.

With the Mueller investigation concluding, Adam Schiff will now be taking the reins of investigating Russia’s meddling in our American elections, we must call congress and request that Schiff investigate the potential Russian blackmailing of GOP leaders in an effort to influence the American Legislative agenda.

Budget, Constitution, Immigration, Legislative Branch, Mitch McConnell, Trump January 12, 2019December 22, 2019

Longest Shutdown Ever | GOP Senators 2020

Washington (GGM) Analysis | January 12, 2019
by Noreen Wise

It’s Friday night January 11, 2019 just before midnight. Mitch McConnell is already back home in Kentucky, tucked safely away in his expansive homestead, sipping champagne perhaps, while 800,000 Americans are gripped with trauma as we head into the 22 day of the longest shutdown in American history.

This shutdown has no logical justification. It feels like we’ve been viciously attacked by a foreign enemy… similar to the perilous grip of a cyber attack that inflicts grave financial harm.

Mitch McConnell is the Senate Majority Leader and is ultimately the most responsible for this nightmare. After two years of enabling Trump to defy the U.S. Constitution, and two years of McConnell failing at his responsibility to be a check on the Executive Branch, the cumulative result is a treasonous president who’s a threat to American citizens and a danger to the world.

McConnell could easily rally his GOP colleagues to follow through with their oath of office, and yet he defiantly refuses. It’s galling.

The following are 21 GOP Senators who are up for reelection in 2020. May the self-serving, anti-American amongst them, who’ve corrupted their oath of office by their flagrant inaction and indifference that’s traumatizing American citizens, be the final straw that permanently marks them, and makes these their final days in office.

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Steve Daines (R-MT)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MI)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
David Perdue (R-GA)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Ben Sasse (R-NE)
Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Below are what some had to say on the eve of the longest shutdown in US history… a shutdown that strongly resembles a Russian cyber attack.

Senator Mitch McConnell did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019 before heading home for the weekend.

Senator Susan Collins did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans.

Senator Ben Sasse also did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans. But she did retweet the GOP video on January 10, 219.

Senator Lamar Alexander seems to have the right attitude, meeting with constituents on January 11, 2019 to discuss with them the best way to end the shutdown. He’s very atypical compared to his GOP counterparts.

Senator Tom Cotton, no mention of the shutdown on January 11, 2019, but Senator Cotton did bring up the border o January 9, 2019, approximately 24 hours after Trump’s failed Presidential Address.

Senator Bill Cassidy actually has a good idea, but the cartel money should be used for modern technology rather than a pointless medieval wall.

Senator Steve Daines didn’t tweet about the shutdown on January 11, 2019, but he did tweet about protecting public lands and working across party lines which seems to subliminally suggest he’d like to work with Dems to reopen the government.

Senator Mike Enzi is another GOP Senator who showed an air of bipartisanship by cosponsoring bill to end government shutdowns forever. This works.

Senator Joni Ernst did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019 about the shutdown, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans. But she did show complete indifference to the plight of the 800,000 federal employees by tweeting about her own pet project.

Senator Cory Gardner did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019 about the shutdown, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans. But he did show complete indifference to the plight of the 800,000 federal employees by tweeting about his own pet project.

Senator Thom Tillis did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019 about the shutdown, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans. But he did show complete indifference to the plight of the 800,000 federal employees by tweeting about his own pet project.

Senator David Perdue did NOT tweet on Friday January 11, 2019, the eve of what’s to become the longest shutdown in US history, that will harm 800,000 innocent Americans.

Ethics, Supreme Court December 29, 2018December 30, 2018

The 83 Complaints Filed Against Kavanaugh Prove Beyond A Doubt

“Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building; it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists… it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status.” ~Lewis Powell. Jr

Powerful symbols adorn the Supreme Court seemingly to reinforce that all the noble ideals they embody are real, and true.

Equal Justice Under Law

There were 83 complaints filed against Brett Kavanaugh by the middle of September 2018. Chief Justice John Roberts sent these to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado to be reviewed. On December 18, 2018, all were dismissed by Chief Circuit Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich. Tymkovich’s decision to dismiss was based on Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh now being on the Supreme Court and thus Tymkovish didn’t have jurisdiction.

The Guardian or Authority of Law

The 83 complaints are very well written, with extensive details and documentation proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Kavanaugh is guilty of perjury, political bias, and improper Code of Conduct. Having emails that prove Kavanaugh lied under oath is damning, not to mentioned Kavanaugh’s inappropriate behavior being publicly televised and viewed by more than 20 million.

Contemplation of Justice

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeal’s dismissal, cannot be the end of this grievous injustice. The Supreme Court building itself, the grounds and architecture, have strongly articulated exactly what the standards and expectations are for any Supreme Court Justice. Kavanaugh falls well below the bar.

Based on the complaints providing irrefutable facts that prove Kavanaugh’s guilt, and Chief Circuit Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich citing jurisdiction, the only path available is to annul Kavanaugh’s confirmation so that the complaints can be processed within the guidelines outlined by the Court of Appeals.

Climate Change, Environment, Legislative Branch, Mitch McConnell, Senate December 22, 2018July 11, 2019

McConnell Most Responsible for Climate Change

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell was first elected to the United States Senate in 1984. After serving five terms, he was re-elected to a sixth in 2014. He steadily rose the ranks to various leadership positions:

National Republican Senatorial Committee | 1998 – 2000
Majority Whip | 2003 – 2005, 108th Congress
Minority Leader | 2006 – 2014
Majority Leader | 2014 – present

The global temperature in 1984, when McConnell was first elected, was 14.10 Celsius / 57.38 Fahrenheit. During the thirty-four years since then, the global temperature has risen to approximately 14.8 Celsius / 58.64 Fahrenheit, more than half of one full degree. Numerous urgent international global warming warnings have spanned the past three plus decades; McConnell was present for every single one of these. In his leadership capacity, McConnell had the unmistakable, repeated opportunity to rally support and Legislative action to curb the rise in global temperature, but he chose to shun responsibility, bury his head in the sand and aggressively promote the fossil fuel industry. His campaigns have received a stunning $2,151,444 from Oil & Gas industries.

Timeline of Global Warming Warnings During McConnell’s Tenure in the Senate:

1985 – Villach Conference | Consensus amongst experts, global warming inevitable, calls on governments to “consider international agreements to take action to restrict emissions”
1987 – Montreal Protocol of the Vienna Convention | “imposes international restrictions on emissions of ozone-destroying gases”
1988 – Toronto Conference | “calls for strict, specific limits on greenhouse gas emissions; UK Prime Minister Thatcher is first major leader to call for action”
1989 – Global Climate Coalition established | created by “fossil-fuel and other U.S. industries to tell politicians and the public that climate science is too uncertain to justify action”
1990 – First IPCC Report | “world has been warming and future warming is likely”
1992 – Rio de Janeiro Conference | “produces UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, but U.S. blocks calls for serious action”
1995 – Second IPCC Report | “detects ‘signature’ of human-caused greenhouse effect warming”
1997 – Kyoto Protocol | “setting targets for industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (rejected by U.S. senate in advance)”
2000 – Global Climate Coalition dissolves | “as many corporations grapple with threat of warming, but Oil lobby convinces U.S. administration to deny problem”
2001 – Third IPCC Report | “global warming, unprecedented since the end of the last ice age, is ‘very likely,’ with highly damaging future impacts”
2004 – “First major books, movie, and art work featuring global warming appear”
2005 – Kyoto Treaty | “signed by major industrial nations except U.S.”
2006 – “An Inconvenient Truth” documentary | “persuades many but sharpens polarization”
2007 – Fourth IPCC Report | “warns that serious effects of warming have become evident”
2009 – Copenhagen Conference | “fails to negotiate binding agreements,” hopes fade of “avoiding dangerous future climate change”
2015 – Paris Agreement | 196 nations/state parties “pledge to set targets for their own greenhouse gas dust and to report their progress” | McConnell sends letter “urging states not to comply with EPA’s Clean Power Plan”
2017 – McConnell succeeds at urging Trump to pull United States out of Paris Agreement
2018 – Katowice Climate Change Conference COP24 | “leaders reach deal bolstering Paris Agreement,” but not United States, “U.S. held event promoting fossil fuels“

In a stunning rebuke of the 800 million people across the globe who are impacted by global warming, McConnell has consistently corralled his senate colleagues, and now the current president, to maintain staunch opposition to the science behind the global warming warnings. Despite the scientific facts, and the yearly physical proof that climate change is a reality, McConnel persists at denying the research and guidance of experts, and plows forward with legislating in conflict with the damaging impact of climate change reality.

Unfortunately, McConnell’s thirty-four years representing Kentucky in DC have not proven to be a career of public service, but rather of self-service. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and many millions are at stake.