At long last,
honesty in government

Of the three branches of the federal government, the judicial branch was the most difficult for the Epstein Class to purchase.

In bygone days when there were election finance laws, the Epstein Class had to bide its time while slowly bankrolling candidates to elected office who would approve judicial appointees who were beholding to, or part of, the Epstein Class. But over time with help from front organizations like the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, the Epstein Class prevailed. 

In part the judicial success of the Epstein Class was due to Strict Constitutionalism, also sometimes called Strict Constructionism, a theory whereby law is supposed to agree with the supposed thoughts of the long-dead authors of the Constitution. Since nobody really knows what those authors would think about modern issues, Strict Constitutionalism is a handy rationalization for judicial decisions favoring the Epstein Class. Of course Epstein Class judges toss aside Strict Constitutionalism for important cases like Bush v. Gore, which handed the presidency to George Bush II through a court decision instead of letting Congress decide a disputed election, as the authors of the Constitution intended.

Strict Constitutionalism has been useful for approving unlimited campaign spending by secret groups and individuals by equating money with free speech. (Citizens United) It has also been useful for declaring corporations to be persons with more rights than lowly humans who are  also citizens under the law. (Citizens United and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby) 

In the last two years the federal Epstein Class Supreme Court Supermajority has become more efficient. It has issued dozens of emergency docket, or shadow decisions, that favor the Epstein Class. None of these decisions included written opinions since they are a waste of time when everyone already knows that the supermajority of the Supreme Court always favors the Epstein Class for obvious financial reasons. 

With the three branches of the federal government now owned by the Epstein Class we finally have honesty in government. Our nation now has government of the Epstein Class, by the Epstein Class and for the Epstein Class. It just goes to show that a little patience and a lot of money concentrated in the hands of the few can provide them with great benefits at the expense of the rest of us.
Jason Maloney
Washburn, Wisconsin

Greasy Pete just keeps winning

Secretary of Defense Greasy Pete Hegseth helped start, then lose, a war of aggression against Iran after being played like a violin by Israel. Pretty much every U.S. base in the Persian Gulf has been incapacitated. The 5th fleet was rendered homeless. The tiny gulf-state autocracies were left without the “super power” protection which they and their petrodollars had taken for granted, and the U.S. empire in West Asia folded like a towel.

Heck of a job, Greasy Pete! Now it’s time to celebrate that stunning success by bombing a few random fishermen in the Caribbean, and lecturing your generals about their low testosterone. Soon you can collect your well-earned medals. One for chutzpah, one for crimes against humanity.
David A Sorensen
Duluth, Minnesota

Smilin’ Pete’s been mighty silent

With representative Pete Stauber talking about being there for us, I have to say no he’s not. My friend and I have written to him several times with no response. The time that I wrote to both Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith I got a reply back.
Years ago I wrote a letter to the Duluth news tribune about the slow mail and I got a letter from Stauber’s predecessor about my letter to the editor even though I hadn’t written to him. At the same time I like many who have written to Stauber we never hear back from him. So how can he say that he’s for us? Add to the fact that he only votes for what Trump wants not what we want or need.
Cecilia Hill
Duluth, Minnesota

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE READER
What walks like a lame duck, quacks like a lame duck and is about to become duck a l’orange after learning the facts of life from the American people on Nov. 3?
No need to answer. It was a rhetorical question.
OK. One more question, this one not rhetorical: How is that felonious idiot still in office?
And if the midterm is going to be a vote on how much Trump and his tragic war and foolish policiies are hated, bootlicker Smilin’ Pete Stauber must also go.
Pete, you’re going to have a miserable time with your leader under investigation when your crew loses the majority, so please do everyone a favor and just drop out of the race and fade away.
Remember the Third of November!