The President’s Dangerous Hate Speech on Independence Day
by Mark M. Bello President Trump used his Independence Day speech to warn America about what he called a growing communist threat. Here are a few of the “lowlights.” Trump: “You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both.” On its face, indeed, someone who genuinely seeks to replace […]
Trump — The Lawbreaker Part 2
Abuse of Power in Practice by Mark M. Bello Last week, in Part I of ‘TRUMP THE LAWBREAKER,’ we discussed the erosion of equal justice in America. In Part II, we’ll discuss what that erosion looks like in real time. Not in theory or law school hypotheticals, but in the daily exercise of presidential power. […]
Cold Cheeseburgers & Colder Ego
When Champions Become Props in the Donald Show Editor’s Note: The following was posted on Facebook and it is simply too good not to share with you guys. The only thing I know about the author is that he’s a hell of a writer and is right on point with this piece about the slime […]
NOTICE: Family Health Issue Forces Podcast Pause
by Bob Gatty Because of a serious health issue involving my wife, Jackie, I will be pausing my Lean to the Left podcast until mid-March when I intend to relaunch a renewed version that I hope you will support. I do not want to go into details publicly regarding what’s happening with her, but it’s […]
Happy New Year! Bad Policy Has Consequences–And Better Policy is Right There
Part Two: The Fix By Mark M. Bello The most frustrating thing about 2025 wasn’t just the damage—it was how unnecessary the damage was. None of the problems described in yesterday’s Part One required radical ideology to fix. They required competence, balance, and honesty about tradeoffs. What Better Policy Looks Like (Plain English) Economic Stability […]
Woke Teachers Aren’t the Problem—They’re the Solution
By C J Waldron These days there is an outcry from the right against what they call “woke”. They insist that it begins in our schools and indoctrinates children with woke philosophy. They want schools to become a place that promotes their own form of patriotism, where their leadership is unquestioned and a sanitized version […]
The Charlie Kirk Death: Weaponizing Tragedy
How the Right is Using Kirk’s Death to Stoke Fear and Division By Bob Gatty Donald Trump and many of his followers are using the tragic death of MAGA mouthpiece Charlie Kirk to declare war on Democrats and anyone who criticizes the young man who spewed hate against anyone who is different. And that’s not […]
Look in the Damn Mirror, Mr. Trump
Selective Outrage and the Politics of Hate by Mark M. Bello The murder of Charlie Kirk is a tragedy. No one should lose their life to violence, certainly not for espousing their political beliefs. However, before any suspect is captured, before his or her motives are known, the governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, labeled Kirk’s […]
The “Trump/Kennedy Center” – A Monument to Ego, Not Art
by Mark M. Bello I would prefer to avoid constantly writing about the shallow narcissist who pulled over the greatest con in American political history, but Donald Trump consistently provides daily examples of his a-holiness. Always in search of something to slap his name on — a building, a golf course, a steak, or a […]