The re-election campaign for trump has issued a cease and desist letter to stop a TV ad that uses trump’s own words to illustrate how trump has bungled the COVID-19 pandemic by downplaying its seriousness.
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote: “The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market...” 250 U.S. at 630. trump speaks of, yet mocks, “truth” and is ignorant of the marketplace.
The First Amendment’s protection of free speech and free press are greatest for speech directed at a public official that is critical of the official’s conduct. New York Times v Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964).
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the defense of justice is no virtue.” Senator Barry Goldwater, viewed by some as the patriarch of conservatism, made that statement in his acceptance speech of the 1964 GOP nomination for President.
This recent iteration of the GOP is not “conservative.” Large corporations - pharma, defense, oil or combinations - jump into the trough with all four hooves and a snout when billions - now trillions - are available to keep them afloat, “free market” be damned.
If poor people, immigrants, veterans, students - I could go on - need assistance, the major shareholders of those corporations, and their media hucksters, cry “Socialism!” Now some say they are willing to die for the economy.
We should not hold our breaths. They will not sacrifice themselves. They will sacrifice others and profit from media coverage. If we criticize them, they will mimic trump and issue cease-and-desist letters.
The other candidates in the GOP primary for Indiana’s 5th are in a contest to out-trump each other. To say trump is out of touch with reality would be polite. More accurately, he is delusional and unconcerned about the well being of this country and the World.
Congress is meant to be a check on, not a rubber stamp for, POTUS’s actions. My opponents in the GOP’s primary for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District (INCD5) have indicated they only will act as trump’s rubber stamp.
For too long one-half of our two-party system has been controlled by ignorance, bigotry and hatred, things that trump embodies. His denial and delay on COVID-19 have caused many more to die.
As I wrote yesterday, if you live in INCD5: 1) make sure you are registered to vote! 2) either vote early or be at the polls on June 2; 3) If you agree with me, please request a GOP ballot and vote for me; 4) If you disagree with me - vote for one of my opponents.
By June 2 it is quite probable that the only contested race for an office in Indiana’s primary will be for the GOP nomination for INCD5 in the U.S. House. If you agree with the ineptitude and prejudice of all that is trump: I DO NOT WANT YOUR VOTE.
My name is Mark Small. I am a GOP candidate for Indiana’s 5th. I am pro-environment, pro-choice, anti-war and anti-dt. I believe in the traditional values of the GOP, not the bastardized values of dt and his minions. I approve of this blog. Hell, I wrote it.