RUTHFULLY YOURS

I watched the messy and shrill GOP debate last night with the misgiving that none of it really mattered. Elections in America are the hallmark of democracy and equality. Every single citizen in America- rich, poor, black, white, radical, conservative, orthodox, secular, atheist, etc. has that day to express a national choice. But, and this is a huge but, that precious freedom to choose is endangered by the lack of real election integrity.

The media libels and disinforms with alacrity. Many pollsters routinely ask yes or no questions designed to elicit shaky results to favor chosen candidates, and shady revised election rules threaten the integrity of results in a preponderance of states and districts.

Not a single candidate last night even brought it up. rsk

At the risk of incurring some anger from valued readers, I wholeheartedly approve of Ramasamy’s reflections on ending aid to Israel in 2028.

Aid to Israel has historically been a cudgel to force Israel’s acceptance of policies inimical to its independence. Examples abound:

In the shuttle diplomacy following the October Yom Kippur War of 1973 Israel bowed to the demands for withdrawal made by the aggressor Anwar Sadat of Egypt after a crude warning by Kissinger that failure to do so would lead to a” reassessment” of aid. Again, during the Camp David Accords of 1978, Vice President Mondale pressured Menachem Begin to accept all Sadat’s demands for territorial concessions by hinting at a reduction in aid. In 1992 Secretary of State James A. Baker III gave Israel’s Prime Minister Itzhak Shamir a blunt public warning that unless Israel halts building Jewish settlements in so-called occupied territories, it would not get $10 billion in U.S. loan guarantees. In October of 1998 after the Oslo Accords failed to get Israel’s full commitment to abandon the cities of Judea and Samaria to the PLO, a meeting was held at the Wye River in Maryland where Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hinted that aid would be reconsidered if Prime Minister Netanyahu did not accede to Arafat’s demands.

Ramaswamy recognizes the value of the Abraham accords to ensure peace and deterrence to Iran’s genocidal agenda.  A defense agreement with sharing of intel is far superior to aid at a time that America’s economy, military and infrastructure are failing.

I’m saving my opprobrium for the trio of rats- Matti Friedman, Daniel Gordis, Yossi Halevi who are issuing a call to world Jewry to “support Israel but not its present government”…..How does one do that? By threatening to cut off aid unless the democratically elected government is toppled? rsk

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D) is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. In 2004, Duckworth was deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit by an RPG and she lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 after representing Illinois’s Eighth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms.

Congressman Brian Mast (R) is in his fourth term representing the 21st Congressional District of Florida.

Prior to his election to Congress, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps by serving in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years, earning medals including The Bronze Star Medal, The Army Commendation Medal for Valor, The Purple Heart Medal, and The Defense Meritorious Service Medal. While deployed in Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command. The last improvised explosive device that he found resulted in catastrophic injuries, which included the loss of both of his legs.

Bergdorf Goodman was always New York’s toniest department store. Even the sales ladies are soigne and as we said in the Bronx “stuck-up” and clearly cater to the wealthy.
How then to explain how a woman and a six footer lout got into a dressing room to frolic 30 years ago? Women got dirty looks if they wore jeans and sneakers in those days and sales ladies escorted buyers to the dressing rooms and frequently knocked to bring other merchandise.
I can believe a maiden could be escorted by the Secret Service to behold the nether parts of a sitting President.
I can also imagine a damsel getting into a car with Ted Kennedy, or being a waitress pinned between him and Senator Chris Dodd, another one-time Presidential aspirant, who fondled and harassed her in a restaurant until the police were called.
It was proven that a child bearing lass accepted money to cover up her affair with the father, a married candidate running for Vice President with John Kerry.
But porny escapades in a fitting room in Bergdorf Goodman thirty years ago? A lot of people doubt that narrative. rsk

It’s the economy, stupid is a phrase that was coined by James Carville in 1992 to promote the election of Bill Clinton.

Forgive my paraphrasing, but the election of 2024 is a do or die moment for reversing the precipitous slide in American deterrence, foreign policy and prestige, education, national culture, freedom to dissent and patriotic pride occasioned by the election of 2020.

Restoring a modern conservative agenda requires two full terms in the White House and the present leading candidate cannot meet that requirement.

Unlike the Democrat party mired in destructive “progressive policies” the GOP has a multitude of younger, energetic, determined and experienced candidates who should be encouraged and promoted to national status in 2024. rsk

Yesterday I attended a private luncheon and book launching for Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican entrepreneur and businessman, and author of several excellent books on culture, business and politicswho recently announced his candidacy for the White House.

Until yesterday, although I have been seriously impressed by his brilliance and articulate vision for a conservative agenda to restore American values, education, infrastructure, energy independence, and security, I was skeptical about his election chances.

No more. He is an excellent speaker who fields questions deftly with an exciting and infectious vision of our nation’s possibilities and exceptionalism.

I am reminded of an early 2014 meeting when the Tea Party repeated its early endorsement of Donald Trump to a decidedly skeptical reception.

Who knows about 2024? As August debates get closer, Vivek Ramaswamy certainly elevates the language and ideas, and whatever happens he deserves a great future in American politics. rsk

September 2019- The controversial call that spurred an impeachment inquiry. On July 25, President Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The summary of the controversial phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s president in which Trump asked his counterpart to look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden was released.

The release came a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she was launching an impeachment inquiry related to the phone call.

“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, what Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great,” Trump said to Zelensky in the call.
Zelenskiy, when asked in the open, has said he never felt “pushed” by Trump.

When renewing my ballet subscription for 2023, after submitting the order this was sent online:

https://www.metopera.org/cart/confirmation/

Your purchase qualifies you to purchase single tickets to the 2023 ABT season. When purchasing through the website, you will be sat in the best available seats in your chosen section.

When trying to cancel my late daughter’s health coverage automatic payments, after an hour of listening to horrible music, the very polite agent told me:

“In order to expedite your request, I would have to speak to the deceased to confirm that you can speak  on her behalf.!!!???

And the best of all from a subscriber to the newsletter:

“Is there a word in the dicktionary to describe Senator Schumer? “

The media’s obituaries have referenced the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal ad nauseam. Lucie and Drucie her long time friend and companion are among my dearest friends. We enjoyed countless lunches either at her home or mine or at Michael’s restaurant in New York or the River Palm in Edgewater, New Jersey. Her July 4th parties were the stuff of legend. In addition to great vittles and fruits of the vine, we watched the fireworks and sang patriotic songs. She was irreverent and witty and loyal to our coterie of good friends. Fred, Carol, Bonnie, Chris, Panchali, Mary, Lynn, and Janie will forever remember the good times and pleasure of her dazzling company. rsk