Election

Former San Diegan and Trumpist Peter Navarro Gets 4 Months in Prison for Contempt of Congress

January 26, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Former San Diegan politician Peter Navarro who became a Trump advisor, was sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 25, to four months in prison for contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with an investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Navarro, 74, was well known in San Diego back in the day because as a slow-growth advocate he founded a group called PLAN for “Prevent Los Angeles Now” when he was a Democrat and ran unsuccessfully for local and state offices five times. He ended up teaching at UC Irvine for years … until he underwent a severe change into his dark side.

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After New Hampshire: Time for ‘Deus Ex Machina’

January 24, 2024 by Source

Colleen’s views on the 2024 Presidential race do not necessarily reflect those of the OB Rag.

By Colleen O’Connor

It is an odd time in U.S. politics.  The majority of Americans do NOT want a rematch between Biden and Trump.  Advancing age, declining mental acuity, multiple wars, global financial maladies, and fear, rather than fortitude, seems in ascendancy.

The GOP nomination is almost guaranteed to be Trump.  The Democrats to be Biden. The pairing few want. 

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Trump’s Miserable Numbers Coming Out of Iowa : Reality Check

January 17, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Before Trump, his sycophants, and media pundits make too much of the Donald’s “win” in the GOP Iowa caucuses, let’s consider the reality of his really miserable numbers coming out of Iowa.

First of all, we’re talking about a state with only a population of 3.193 million (2021). In comparison, the County of San Diego has a population of 3.286 million (2021). So, our county has more people than the entire state of Iowa. Plus, Iowa is 90% white.

Currently, there are 752,200 registered Republicans in Iowa. Reportedly, 110,298 Iowans caucused. That’s only 15% of the total — which, yes, we know Iowans had to brave a sub-zero Arctic blast Monday night, but historically, was very low; usually the totals are 20% to 30%.

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Winning Strategy for 2024: ‘Back to the Future’

January 15, 2024 by Source

As usual, Colleen’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the OB Rag.

By Colleen O’Connor

Odds are against either Biden or Trump being sworn in as President in January 2025. Why?

Already, a majority of voters do not want either Trump or Biden in a 2024 redo.

Put bluntly, Americans want someone, almost anyone, else. The reality is omnipresent.

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Trump and Lawyers Argue He Could Assassinate Rival With Immunity as Long as He Ducks Impeachment

January 12, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Trump Echos Nixon’s ‘If the President Does It, It’s Legal By Definition’

On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, Donald Trump’s lawyer argued a preposterous and frightening legal point in front of a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel: the president could order the assassination of a political rival and get away with it as long as he wasn’t impeached.

Before the three justice panel — incidentally, all women — Trump’s attorney John Sauer was asked if the president would be persecuted if he ordered SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival. Sauer’s response made history — as it was the first time such an argument had ever been made inside a high level American court.

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What the Mayor Didn’t Say in His State of the City Speech

January 12, 2024 by Source

By Paul Krueger

Given Mayor Todd Gloria’s current bid for re-election, his 2024 State of the City address was more notable for what he omitted than for what he discussed. These omissions raise doubts about the mayor’s willingness — or ability — to deliver on past promises, and if he understands that voters do have memories.

Hopefully, his election opponents and the media will remind the mayor of his previous commitment to these issues,

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Opening Salvo by Joe Biden on Eve of 3rd Anniversary of Fascist Coup Attempt: ‘Who Are We?’

January 7, 2024 by Source

By Joe Biden, President

Today — the topic of my speech today is deadly serious, and I think it needs to be made at the outset of this campaign.

In the winter of 1777, it was harsh and cold as the Continental Army marched to Valley Forge.  General George Washington knew he faced the most daunting of tasks: to fight and win a war against the most powerful empire that existed in the world at the time. His mission was clear.  Liberty, not conquest.  Freedom, not domination.  National independence, not individual glory.

America made a vow.  Never again would we bow down to a king.

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We Must Remember: the 3rd Anniversary of the Attempted Insurrection and Coup Against American Democracy

January 6, 2024 by Frank Gormlie

Today is the third anniversary of January 6, 2021, a day that will live in infamy — the day that a riotous and fascist mob attacked the US Capitol in Washington DC — urged on by the then-president — to prevent the lawful certification of Joe Biden’s election.

It was an insurrection; it was a coup attempt — and for the first time in the nation’s history — the peaceful transfer of power was interrupted by the violence of those who wanted to see our democracy destroyed and wanted Trump to illegally remain in power.

As Americans who believe in the rule of law and in our democratic traditions — flailing and weakened as they are — we must acknowledge and remember this attempt to install a fascist dictatorship and end the American experiment.

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‘Why We Support San Diego’s Elected Community Planning Groups’

January 4, 2024 by Source

by Larry Turner, Kate Callen and Terry Hoskins

For more than a half-century, San Diego’s community planning groups have been acclaimed as a national model of local democracy. As the city’s website states, these CPGs elected by their communities have been “formal mechanisms [that] provide citizens with an opportunity for involvement.”

This model of democracy is now under siege. Mayor Todd Gloria, with the complicity of all nine City Councilmembers, is poised to remove elected CPG members and replace them with unelected members of his own choosing. That is not democracy. That is autocracy,

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2024 Predictions: Dark Ages vs. The Enlightenment

January 3, 2024 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Flip a coin.   50-50 chance of winning.

Use a slingshot.  The further back you pull, the farther ahead the stone reaches.

Or just start hoarding toilet paper and water.

Seriously, who knows.  Global chaos abounds.  So, what to expect.  Honestly, more of the same.  Do not despair.  Starting with 50-50 chances, history finds wonderful progress after nightmare eras.  For example, World War 1.  That horror was followed by a period of some prosperity, a warning about another World War, and women’s right to vote.

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‘My Generation of Seniors Need to Make Amends to Our Off-Spring for Supporting a Man Who Nearly Brought Our Democracy to its Knees — by Not Ever Voting for Him Again.’

December 28, 2023 by Ernie McCray

By Ernie McCray / Op-Ed San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 28, 2023

I’m but one of America’s nearly 60 million senior citizens, an 85-year-old. That’s an age filled with concerns, all kinds of concerns, concerns about walking into a room not knowing why, concerns about aches and pains that come in several degrees and recent concerns about rises in ageism.

Oh, the list of concerns could go on and on, ad nauseum, but I have a particular concern that has, for a while now, bothered me tremendously, one that stands high on my list of worries.

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What Did Jesus Do?

December 21, 2023 by Source

Roll Up for Cannabis Equity – A Monthly Column

By Terrie Best

By now there have been many articles written about political operatives Jesus and Andrea Cardenas alleged shenanigans with a Federal PPP loan. These alleged actions led to a criminal indictment against the siblings but not enough has been said about Jesus’s connection to the cannabis lobby.

I’m not an expert on the politics of cannabis but articles from local news outlets gave us some insight and I have many more questions.

A detail which concerned me was the disclosure that as late as 2021 March and Ash, the largest cannabis retailer in San Diego county, was paying Cardenas for consulting work

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San Diego in 2024: Who’s Running for What Office?

December 21, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s a projection into San Diego politics 2024 – who is running for what office?  Here’s what we know now broken down by district and office, now that we’ve passed the signature qualification phase:

San Diego City Council

District 1

Joe LaCava represents north coastal District 1 and will run unopposed for re-election. Anthony Olmo was challenging him but failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

District 2

Jen Campbell is not up for re-election in 2024. She was re-elected in 2022.

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Michael Smolens: Jones-Wright Entry into Mayoral Race Upsets Any Coast to Victory Gloria Thought He Had

December 18, 2023 by Source

By Michael Smolens / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 17, 2023

Mayor Todd Gloria’s re-election bid may have become more complex with a challenge from social justice advocate and former district attorney candidate Geneviéve Jones-Wright.

So far, the former public defender mostly has kept a low profile as a mayoral candidate, with no formal announcement speech or extensive media interviews to talk about running for the region’s most powerful local government office.

J

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Lebowski 2024 – ‘This Aggression Will Not Stand, Man’

December 15, 2023 by Source

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LA Times Editorial Board: ‘Trump wants to be the U.S.’ first dictator’

December 15, 2023 by Source

By The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board / Dec. 13, 2023

If you have tuned out the many crazy things that Donald Trump has said since he left the White House, it’s time to start paying attention.

The twice-impeached insurrectionist holds more than a 40-point polling lead over his closest rival in the Republican primary, and many Americans remain in denial about how close we are to returning an aggrieved and emboldened authoritarian to power. As former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) warned recently, the U.S. “is sort of sleepwalking into dictatorship.”

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Here’s Geneviéve Jones-Wright – Candidate for San Diego Mayor

December 11, 2023 by Source

From Campaign website:

Who is Geneviéve Jones-Wright?

Geneviéve is a native San Diegan born and raised by her single mother Mae, who retired from UCSD Hospital after working 25 years as a custodian, instilling in her the importance of community service, commitment to family, faith, and helping others to succeed.

While in the fourth grade, Jones-Wright decided to pursue the law after she was inspired by the achievements of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Geneviéve graduated from San Diego’s Patrick Henry High School, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco, her law degree from Howard University School of Law, and her Master of Laws from California Western School of Law in San Diego.

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The Post-Apocalyptical Fiction Section

December 8, 2023 by Staff

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Geneviéve Jones-Wright Enters Mayoral Race Against Incumbent Todd Gloria

December 8, 2023 by Source

AOL / Dec. 6, 2023

Geneviéve Jones-Wright, a former San Diego public defender and proclaimed advocate for justice and social equality, has officially launched her bid for the 2024 mayoral seat against incumbent Todd Gloria.

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Liz Cheney: ‘The Country Is Sleepwalking Into Dictatorship’

December 6, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Former Rep. Liz Cheney’s new book, Oath and Honor, is just being released, garnering more press and more serious attention since her disciplined, singularly scholarly co-chairmanship of the January 6th Committee.

She has appeared in extensive primetime interviews on the major networks, in dozens of op/eds in the world’s press, and drummed up enough attention to make Taylor Swift envious.

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Christmas Came Early – Santos Gone, Trump Liable for Illegal Acts, and Remembering Trailblazer Sandra Day O’Connor

December 1, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Christmas Came Early!

Rep. George Santos (the fabulous) has been expelled from the U.S. Congress.  The vote wasn’t even close.

The 9th Circuit Court has ruled unanimously that former President Donald trump is NOT immune from prosecution for illegal acts during his time as President.  So the courts can now proceed with the long stalled trials.

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‘Voters Gonna Vote!’

December 1, 2023 by Source

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Judge Denies Request to Disqualify San Diego County DA from Unbalanced Protest Prosecution

November 20, 2023 by Source

City News Service – KPBS / November 17, 2023

On Friday, a judge denied a request from defense attorneys to remove the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office from the prosecution of a group of anti-fascists charged in connection with a 2021 Pacific Beach protest that broke out into brawls.

[Go here for background.]

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In Truth With His ‘Vermin’ Speech, Trump Threatens a New Civil War If Elected

November 17, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

By now many perhaps have heard about candidate Trump’s infamous “vermin” speech from last weekend. It was one of those clarifying moments that every American citizen needs to know about, one of those moments that explicitly defines the situation the country faces and finds itself in.

The Republican Party’s front-runner for president spoke at a Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire and in front of the microphone intentionally declared that if he became president he would “root out” his opponents – the left – calling them “vermin”, that they’re destroying America and represent the most dangerous and grave threat facing the country. It was not a spontaneous expression or off-the-cuff; it was deliberate and was repeated on his social media.

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Harrison Ford: ‘I’m the Same Age as Biden.’

November 16, 2023 by Source

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‘Power San Diego’ Begins Campaign to Replace SDG&E With Non-Profit for Ballot Measure in Nov. 2024

November 16, 2023 by Source

The Power San Diego Campaign today published its initiative to replace SDGE in the City with a not-for-profit, publicly-owned electric utility. Signature gathering to qualify the initiative for the City’s November 2024 ballot will begin in December.

“This is a campaign for those tired of paying the nation’s highest electric rates, for those tired of paying to provide more than $1 million of profits every day pocketed by SDGE,” said Bill Powers, chairman of the ballot campaign. “It’s a campaign to cut utility bills and tap the enormous rooftop solar potential in our community. ”

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‘Thank You for Your Service …’

November 15, 2023 by Source

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This is a Taylor Swift Election: Watch Tuesday’s Results

November 7, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

If you haven’t seen  the poll that found Biden trailing Trump in five out of six battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania by margins of 3 to 10 percentage points among registered voters, or read Obama Chief strategist, David Axelrod’s,  comments suggesting Biden drop out of 2024 presidential race, then you need to go see the Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie to cheer up.

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Democratic Party-Aligned Political Consultants Worked For and Against Same Candidate in 2020

November 1, 2023 by Source

By Arturo Castañares / La Prensa / October 23, 2023

A brother and sister team of political consultants worked both for and against a city council candidate during the 2020 election according to a new investigation request filed with the San Diego Democratic Party by the victim of the fraud.

Marcus Bush, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party in his successful campaign for the City Council in National City in November 2020, requested an internal investigation into Andrea Cardenas who runs Grassroots Resources LLC, a local consulting firm owned by her brother, Jesus Cardenas.

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Don’t Jail Trump — Outsmart Him.

October 30, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

The false choices for bringing Trump to account for violating “gag orders” are looming large.

Special Prosecutor Jack Smith (January 6th investigation), the judge in Trump’s civil fraud case, the Attorneys General in Georgia, and New York have all railed against the not-so-subtle threats against themselves, their families, and/or clerks and Georgia election workers.

Fines have failed to deter Trump’s outbursts on social media, in front of the press, and at rallies that would have landed any other defendant in jail.  $5,000 or $10,000 are meaningless. 

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