"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." — Amelia Earhart

She's back!

That's the topic of this blog.  No, not me, though, yes, Little Sister Resister is back.^**  The "She" is the Strong American Woman. She's doing it!

2017 is becoming the Year of the Woman (go ahead, Time Magazine, use that next month). It started with the Women's March all across the world in January.  See my account of the Los Angeles Women's March -- my very first blog post -- here.

The momentum carried throughout the year, until the last couple months, when some remarkable things happen.

 #MeToo happened. All across social media, women spoke up with the simple words "Me Too." We stood up to simply be counted among the women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed. We didn't have to tell our stories -- we shouldn't have to tell our stories. We just affirmed, "Me Too."  It was sobering seeing all of our sisters acknowledging their experiences. We were able to step back and take stock of our experiences, which is really a shared experience, because I can't imagine any woman who has not experienced some sort of assault or harassment. We live it every single day.

I read a couple accounts that "small" assaults shouldn't count somehow. And to that I answer,  Higgity Hog Wash. That's the point. Small assaults are bad. Small assaults and harassment keep us down, keep us controlled, keep us humiliated and vulnerable. They count. All of it counts. And I hope it woke up many of our male friends who are the good guys, that perhaps they have been #YouToo. The ones who, with a slap on the rear or a snarky comment, helped perpetuate a eons-long hostile environment that maybe -- just maybe -- is starting to change. #MeToo enabled women in a big way, and women became empowered to not only declare "Me too," but also to speak out about their experiences.

While it started with a little hashtag on social media, women began to stand up and speak up.  Silence just wasn't an option anymore. I'm convinced that knowing that millions of other women were standing strong behind them, women found their voice and their power and started coming out of the shadows to publicly tell their stories of assault and harassment at the hands of powerful men. It started with Harvey Weinstein and cascaded down a very steep mountain, picking up James Toback, Louis CK, Kevin Spacey, Roy Moore, Al Franken, and many others. They are coming out into the sunlight every day.  The New York Times has a running list, which is updated often. If a person is hurt, threatened, humiliated, or simply uncomfortable with your behavior, then it is a problem. And it's a problem that many women haven't felt empowered to speak up before now. Let's hope that this is the beginning of a fundamental change.

Of course, public accusations are not new. We had Bill Clinton, Clarence Thomas, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, SCROTUS McFartFace, and on and on. But it seems different now. More women, arm in arm, with strong voices. More people are believing them. And more consequences being meted out.

I believe the environment is changing as a direct backlash to the Groper-In-Chief. We're just not going to put up with it anymore. People are seeing through his incredible hypocrisy. What does he do? He denies, denies, denies accusations against him from at least a dozen women who he assaulted, even though he loudly admitted to Billy Bush his proclivity to assault women. He assails Democrat Al Franken, and he stays silent about Republican Roy Moore. What an asshole.

Disgusting. Ugly. Disturbing. Bizarre. More of the New Normal in BackwardsVille, USA.

But we're here. And we're talking. Women are not going away. Women are doing it!

http://theweek.com/cartoons/737360/political-cartoon-sexual-harassment-women-roy-moore

An election happened. And women rocked it.

In this blog, I tend to write about many concerns, but I try to look for the positives in these troubling days. A couple times, I have noted that the election* of the tumor that currently occupies the Whitewash House has lit a spark under people to really make a change. In a March post about the positives coming from this fiasco, I wrote:

Politics will have a new face. Or, at least some new faces. This age of resistance and activism is inspiring many to get informed and get involved, and some of the best of us are becoming inspired to enter the world of politics. Great minds are coming up! This article from The Atlantic talks about how scientists are starting to eye local and national seats and 314 Action, a group that is aiming to help them. The Right's disdain for science --somehow making it a Liberal Conspiracy-- has confounded and dismayed me. But this very disdain has inspired many to pursue office. This can only benefit our country. I'm hoping that more women and minorities will also be inspired to run for office. We need representation from all corners of our society.

And indeed, a year after the election, women and others from traditionally marginalized groups stepped forward, and their communities embraced them.

In Virginia, the House of Delegates added many women among its ranks, up to 30 from 17, including Virginia's first-ever Asian-American woman, a Vietnam refugee; their first ever Hispanic woman; and the first openly transgender woman (who beat an self-avowed homophobe and 13-term incumbent!) ever elected to public office in VA.

Transgender candidates also won elections in California, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.

Other states added threads to our wonderfully diverse American Fabric. New Jersey elected a diverse group into their state government, including the Sikh mayor of Hoboken; Charlotte, NC elected its first African-American female mayor; Seattle elected its first openly lesbian mayor; Manchester, NH elected its first ever female mayor; and Helena, Montana elected Montana's first African-American mayor, a refugee from Liberia.

Many strong women with strong voices have stepped into the spotlight in Washington this year. Our own California Junior Senator, Democrat Kamala Harris, has been giving 'em hell up on the Hill. Did you see her dogged questioning of Li'l Elf Sessions last June? He admitted publicly she made him "nervous."  Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) have been vocal opponents of the Republican attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable HealthCare Act. And bulldog Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) continues to be a loud thorn in the side of the Republican majority. I am happy that these reasoned, intelligent women are there. All of these women would be excellent candidates for President in 2020.

Let's keep this momentum going! Support the diversity in our elections. Encourage strong women and people from other traditionally marginalized groups to run for office. Support women when they talk about the abuse that they have suffered. Believe them. Keep reading, talking, and acting for the greater good for our Country. And most of all, keep up the resistance! 


^**Little Sister Resister took a little hiatus to become Little Grandma Resister to a wonderful Little Baby Resister, to take a cruse vacation, to dance and dance and dance, and to work like a lint picker in a flannel factory. But now, she's back!

"THE EMAILS!!" 

The shrieks echoed across the land, only to be dampened by the soft piles of Irony puked up in the corners of the Oval Office. 

"Ovals don't have corners," she replied. 

"They do in Opposite Land. Down is up and Lies are truth. And email servers don't matter anymore."

Politico: At Least 5 TЯUMP Aids Used Personal Emails for Public Business 

We interrupt this political blog....

...with a Little travelogue.

Little Sister Resister and her friend, Littler Sister Resister, went on a Little trip last week to the Great Plains of the United States to experience the Total Eclipse of the Sun.  It was a fun, full weekend.

I'm documenting the whole weekend here, so if you want to skip tourist notes and pix, then scroll down to THE TOTAL ECLIPSE below.


Trish and I met in Denver on Thursday night.

DENVER

We spent a nice day in Denver on Friday. We visited the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Reserve, where we took a nice walk through the fields and forest to some ponds, and we also made the scenic drive around the park. We were able to spot mule deer, prairie dogs, and a herd of American Bison ("Sure, I've heard of bison...")

Doz ears, doe!

See the prairie dog on the lower left corner? They are soooo cute!

Them black spots are American Bison!

After our day of nature, we were hungry women! Trish knows how to conjure the best places to eat. She has this magic little metal box that she stares into, and it tells her good places to stop.

We followed Gigi the Google girl to a sort-of sketchy neighborhood, and we had the most amazing Southern cooking! Fried catfish, collard greens, and yams. Oh my! So yummy! If you're in Denver, find the Blazing Chicken Shack on E. 33rd.

In the evening we met up with some ARC (Aphasia Recovery Connection) friends who live in the area, Sandy and Dylan. It was great to drink beer and catch up with some great people!

After dinner, we walked a block to the Denver Turnverein and I danced for a while. Trish watched and took pictures. The Lindy dancers in Denver are a welcoming group, and I had some fun dances. They had a birthday / newcomers dance, so I was honored to be in that jam. Right after that dance, we had a Shim Sham. Oh, yeah!

WYOMING DAY 1: Saturday

We started our eclipse trek in earnest on Saturday, when we made the drive up to Wyoming. A quick hour and a half to Cheyenne, and we were happy to stop for visiting and lunch with my dear Auntie Nene and my cousin Steve and his wife Carol. Love them people! And we even got to have a little taste of New Mexico when we had green chile for lunch!

Gosh I love these people!

Another hour and a half, and we made it to Haven on the Rock, just south of Ft. Laramie. We were so lucky that Trish stumbled upon this place during her search for a place to stay. When I started planning this adventure, I booked one of the last remaining motels in southern Wyoming for $450/night. I figured I'd just drive up to the eclipse from Laramie.  But, as usual, Trish came to the rescue.

Haven on the Rock is a Christian children's summer camp in the Middle of Nowhere, Wyoming.  It was run by Karisa and Zach, a super nice young couple who managed a big undertaking in welcoming people from around the world to their little corner of the American plains.

Trish, who does magic with the inter-webs, found the place, which was within the 70-mile-wide totality zone. The folks at Haven were renting out camping spots, RV camp sites, and, luckily for us, beds in their half-dozen or so barrack-style cabins. We were assigned to cabin 4, "Coyote." We were the only ones occupying the large room, which contained a bunch o' bunkbed pairs. I call top bunk!  We weren't sure what to expect. Would other people join us to share this space? Turned out, no. It was comfortable. There were communal, camping-style bathrooms and showers. $150 for the both of us, meals included.  What a deal!

Trish got up for the sunrise on Eclipse Day.

I was tickled for the experience. It was communal dining, so we got to know a few other people during meals. The food was typical middle America meat-centric down-home food.  The grounds were nice, and they offered their full array of activities, from archery,  to shooting practice, to rappelling and horseback riding!

Ice cream! 

We added pins in California and Florida!

The other side says, "JESUS LOVES YOU. AND SO DO WE"

WYOMING DAY 2: Sunday

Sunday found a huge influx of people into Haven on the Rock, and by dinner there were about 150 people there. Still no one joined us in our cabin! It felt festive, and people were buzzing with excitement.

We took the opportunity on Sunday to see a little of the area. We drove dirt roads north to the town of Ft. Laramie, a 2-saloon town. We visited Ft. Laramie National Historic Site. It was a cool history lesson. I am always moved when I visit historic sites. Here, travelers on the Oregon and Mormon trails stopped to rest and trade; peaceful Indian trade was big here, and, tragically, the Indian wars started here. We learned that both the Pony Express and the telegraph had big roles there. It's always emotional for me to walk the same place where history happened.

The historic Ft. Laramie bridge

This buffalo hide tipi is a contemporary creation, made with traditional methods, including 8 buffalo hides and tanning with buffalo brains!

We watched some civil war re-enacters demonstrate musket loading and firing and also the firing of a cannon!  Really cool, but it reminds you that war is not good.

That afternoon, back at Haven, we mounted our trusty steeds Hank and Taxi, and enjoyed a 90-minute trail ride over the prairie.  It was a beautiful afternoon to enjoy the grasslands and the interesting limestone (I'm guessing) formations.

The afternoon got a little cloudy.  We threatened the clouds with violence if they or their friends showed up the next day.

Trish, in blue, on Hank

Thirsty horses get relief after the ride

WYOMING DAY 3: Monday

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE

Wow!

We packed our backpacks with snacks, water, and blankets, and walked about 1/2 mile west from the camp to a hill on the prairie. We had 360º views of the horizon.  And there we sat, staring into the sun for hours and experiencing the celestial event of a lifetime.

I didn't want to take photos because I knew 1000s of others across the US would take much better photos, so it wasn't my priority. I wanted to just experience it. That being said, I wasted too many precious seconds searching in the dark for my camera to take a souvenir snapshot.

HOWEVER, after taking a few written notes during the partiality, I extemporaneously decided to turn on my iPhone's voice recorder. I did not know that Trish had planned (and executed) a video of us watching the totality.  Serendipitously, we have a wonderful video and audio recording of our reactions, which I was able to synch with iMovie. You can see me in the video just looking around, looking dazed. I was trying to memorize every bit of it, from the feel of the wind, to the temperature, to the sounds, to the light. Oh! the light!

There wasn't really much change in the light until it neared totality.  Then it started feeling like dusk. But it was a different quality light, different from everyday dusk.  It was quite eerie, grey or more brown. Impossible to describe. I wish the video captured the changes in the lighting. I don't think any camera could have. The camera auto-corrected the light.  But it is seared into my memory.  At totality, it really was pitch black.  Though the video shows a more subtle change in the light, you can still see the magnificent return to sunlight.

Other notes:

The event was amazing - magnificent - incredible - stunning - extraordinary - insert superlative here.

The crickets got confused. They woke up and started chirping about 20 minutes before totality.

I watched for the moment in the west when the moon's shadow started barreling toward us. You can see the moment when I tell Trish, "Oh yeah, look, look, look! Look over there!"  The moon's shadow was coming at us at more than 1,100 miles per hour. It got very dark very quickly. Indescribable. And very cool.

I was confused as well.... haha. You can see me on the video say again and again, "The sunset's in the west."  Well that's nothing special! But it was also in the north, east, and south! The horizon held  sunset colors all 360 degrees around us.

It was an indescribably emotional moment to witness the entrance into totality. It got pitch black. Instantly. Venus and a couple other dimmer celestial bodies appeared. The sun's aura was simply stunning. It was an experience like none I've ever had.

For the record, the body I saw to the left of the Sun was Mercury. And I was so fixated on Venus that I missed Jupiter in the East and Mars was around, too.

I truly believe that up on that little hill on the prairie, where we had flat 360º views, and not a single cloud in the sky the whole day, we had the best eclipse experience that anyone on the planet could've had.

It breaks my heart to hear people say that they saw 99% totality and "didn't think it would be that big a difference."  The reality is that the difference is... well, between night and day!  Totality is amaze-balls. There really are no words.

I hope the video gives you a little glimpse of what it was to experience a total solar eclipse.

Here it is.



THE JOURNEY BACK

We missed the camp's lunch, so we got an ice cream to go, and after packing up we started the drive back to Denver.

And so did everybody from Colorado, along with their kids, their cousin, their aunt, their cousin's mother-in-law, their grandma, and the neighbors in the back.

Imagine a straight road through the treeless prairie. Now imagine thousands of cars nose-to-bumper. For 202 miles.

Everything worthwhile has its challenges. The journey home was ours. There was no choice to accept it. I went at it with an attitude of "We'll get there when we get there."  And I knew that whatever we faced, it had been worth it to have the experience we did.

It took us 7 hours to drive to Cheyenne and 11 hours (normally 3 hours) total to Denver, including one brief stop at the cousins' house to return the borrowed blankets and one brief stop at McDonald's. Get us food! Any food-like substance will do!

One demoralizing moment came when the the plodding bicycle that we had passed a couple miles back overcame us -- and we didn't catch up to him again for probably 15 minutes or more.

One magic Karma moment came early on in Torrington, WY. I had tried to turn off the engine whenever I could, especially during the miles through town where it was literally a parking lot. I would let a car length or two stretch before I turned on my engine again to drive those few feet and sit again. At one point, the truck behind me didn't take kindly to that, and he pointedly honked and zoomed around me while the passenger flipped the bird as the truck nosed into the car-length in front to sit with that view for the next however-the-freak-long.

After another block and 20 minutes, a nice lady and her dog passed us, and she stopped to talk to us through the window. "Where you from? Where you heading? Wow, you came a long way to see us!

And then.... "If you cut through this alleyway here it it'll take you to 14th. It may cut a little time off." This alley, here? The one where our nose is, and the a$$hole's back bumper just passed? "Yep, that one!"

Zooooooom!  Buh-bye, sucka!  Instant Karma. She's a bitch.

Despite the frustrations, the journey home was totally worth it. Every moment was a moment well spent in the pursuit of this experience. There are so many experiences this world has to offer. Make the effort to find them.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." -- John Muir

Now, plans for April 8, 2024......  Join me?

I was there!!

"Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil"

"Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil." -- Elie Wiesel

I'm still reeling and trying to wrap my head around the recent events in our Nation's History and where they will lead us. I woke up this morning wondering what outrage we will face next. It seems like we at the nadir, but I've thought that many times before throughout the last six months, and we always seem to manage to sink a little deeper.  We're stuck in quicksand, a deep chasm to hell, and we are being led by a Faustus of our own making, deeper and deeper through the hole.

A story.

Currently on my caseload, I am working with a Holocaust survivor. He has survived -- and thrived -- through many challenges. This gentleman is now at the twilight of his life. He has dementia, and on top of that, he survived a stroke. He's tough as nails. He is often confused, sometimes combative with his caregivers, but he always has been pleasant with me. After the war, he fled to the United States. He became a successful businessman and lived the American Dream. He contributed to our country in immeasurable ways.

Sometimes he lives in the past. Last week -- before Charlottesville -- he was confabulating about the war.  "What are you doing in the war?" he asked me, with a tear in his eye and a break in his voice.

I gently tried to bring him back to reality. "I wasn't born yet when the war happened. It was a long time ago. But my father fought in the war. He was a ball-turret gunner in a B-17 flying missions out of England."

He could barely hold in his emotion as he tearily said, "I hope he killed the Germans."

"Yes, he bombed Germany a lot."

"Good.....good," he said. "I'm glad he killed the Germans."

We were able to get along with our session.

Yesterday, I visited with him again and he brought up the war again. I quickly re-directed him, because if I hadn't been able to do that, I would've broken down myself.

"The war was a long time ago. Now we have some new challenges. Let's get to work."

It absolutely breaks my heart that this man, whose friends and family suffered the unspeakable and paid the ultimate price at the hands of Hate, who fled to the United States and made a good life helping others and conttirbuted to our Democracy and was a successful businessman, lives in a country where rampant hate still lives. And this hate is being given life by the toad (I cannot call him a man) who occupies the White House.

I think about my own father -- what would he think? -- and others in the Greatest Generation, who fought against fascism. We fought that war. The right side won!  Didn't it?

It makes me sick to my stomach.

It makes me question reality.

It makes me question the collective sanity of our country.

It makes me question my sanity. When I wake up, is it actually a nightmare that I am entering?

I at once become paralyzed and ready to act. And then paralyzed again.

And here I sit, paralyzed.  I have no more words.  Except to say, we can not remain indfferent.

*

Because I use this blog to record the events of these days, here is what we are waking up to in today's nightmare:




New York Times full transcript

We Stand With Charlottesville

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -- Barack Obama

Yesterday there was a gathering at De La Guerra Plaza in downtown Santa Barbara to express solidarity with our friends in Charlottesville, Virginia, after the horrific events of Saturday. We showed up to condemn white supremacy and continue the fight for justice and liberty for all.

After a moment of silence, several people spoke, including one from the local group from SURJ, Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national group dedicated to organizing white people to fight for racial justice.  It was a good-sized group attending the rally, especially given the lateness of the event's organization.

There wasn't much local coverage.  Noozhawk had a story.

I took a couple photos.

Little Sister Resister
The reverse said, "Love and Kindness Always Win"

panorama shot

One of the main points at the rally was that, while it is important to show up at rallies and demonstrations, it is what we do in-between times that will make the difference. We must continue to strive for change.

Santa Barbara is an insulated bubble. We don't feel the impacts of racism here as keenly as folks do in other parts of the country. But we must always raise our voice and act! Get involved and stay involved. Look for your chapter of SURJ, Just Communities, Indivisible, or other resistance groups. Get out the vote. Get involved in local politics. Inspire others.

Own your part of racism and oppression, even if it has been simply silence. Be silent no more. Speak out against hateful words and acts.  Be the change you want to see.

Do something. 

Here is a great essay: White Feelings 0-60 by Erynn Brook

The Southern Poverty Law Center put out an Action Guide. (Thanks to my Big Sister Resister for pointing me to this)  Go! Do Something!

If you don't have the time to get involved, perhaps you have the money.  Donate to organizations that fight the fight. Here are a few good ones to donate to:

The Southern Poverty Law Center
The Anti-Defamation League
The NAACP

or any of the organizations listed here: Racial Equity Resource Guide. Be sure to do your homework and check with Charity Navigator or another watchdog before you send your money anywhere!

I also wrote about hate groups and the uptick in hate violence a few weeks ago. You can read my post here: Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate....

Resist!

To Russia With Love

"Помни, я всегда рядом" ("Remember, I'm always next to you") 💕

I've written a lot about the Bully-in-Chief's words. He does not think twice about insulting anyone and everyone in his path. No one -- well, almost no one -- is safe from his bullying insults.

Today we play, who did he say it about? Friend, Family, or Foe?

Before we play the guessing game, just a small (and I mean tiny) sampling of insults for any Joe Schmo walking the planet. He insults people across the board... no matter who they are, even "normal" / non-enemy people such as journalists, actors, and Supreme Court Justices.  Take a look at these tweets...

I feel sorry for Rosie 's new partner in love whose parents are devastated at the thought of their daughter being with @Rosie--a true loser. (about Rosie O'Donnell -- one of many hateful tweets about her)

You must admit that Bryant Gumbel is one of the dumbest racists around - an arrogant dope with no talent. Failed at CBS etc-why still on TV?

Justice Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court has embarrassed all by making very dumb political statements about me. Her mind is shot - resign!

I have watched sloppy Graydon Carter fail and close Spy Magazine and now am watching him fail at @VanityFair Magazine. He is a total loser!  -- about Graydon Carter, Canadian journalist and magazine editor. 

Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes.

The hatred that clown @krauthammer has for me is unbelievable – causes him to lie when many others say Trump easily won debate. -- about Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer-prize winning columnist. 

But even family and (would-be) friends are not spared. Can you guess who he was talking / tweeting about? (answers below)

Lightweight Senator @---- should focus on trying to get elected in <Southern state>--- a great state which is embarrassed by him.

Every Poll has me winning BIG.If you listen to dopey ----, a Trump hater, on @oreillyfactor, you would think I'm doing poorly. @FoxNews

Truly weird Senator --- of <Southern state> reminds me of a spoiled brat without a properly functioning brain. He was terrible at DEBATE!

@--- was terrible on @TheFive yesterday. Angry and obnoxious, she will never make it on T.V. @FoxNews can do so much better!

@--- You were born stupid! 

Dopey  @--- I'm worth $8 billion and you're worth peanuts...without my show nobody would even know who you are.

.@--- is a low class slob who came to my office looking for consulting work and I had zero interest. Now he picks anti-Trump panels!  

Dummy writer @---, who wanted to do a second book with me for years (I said no), is now a hostile basket case who feels jilted!  

When --- asked me for my endorsement last time around, he was so awkward and goofy that we all should have known he could not win!

“I would never buy ---  any decent jewels or pictures. Why give her negotiable assets?”

“If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”  (OK, I couldn't make this horrible, disgusting, insulting quote anonymous)

But there is one person about whom TЯUMP has not uttered a single unkind word.  I dare you to find one. I couldn't. No, SCROTUS becomes a giggling pile of goo when he talks about his one true love. Oh! those butterflies! Here is what he has said about Putie the Cutie. (I owe a great debt to CNN for compiling these)

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2017/07/TRUMPPUTIN2-bennett.jpg&w=1484

Feb. 10, 2014
On "Fox and Friends": When I went to Russia with the Miss Universe pageant, (Putin) contacted me and was so nice. I mean, the Russian people were so fantastic to us ... I’ll just say this, they are doing – they’re outsmarting us at many turns, as we all understand. I mean, their leaders are, whether you call them smarter or more cunning or whatever, but they’re outsmarting us. If you look at Syria or other places, they’re outsmarting us.”

Oct. 3, 2013
SCROTUS tells Larry King on Ora TV that Putin has done “a really great job outsmarting our country.”

April 12, 2014
The tiny-fisted cheeto tells Fox Business’ Eric Bolling that Putin was nice to him during Miss Universe.

April 12, 2014
“We just left Moscow,” Trump said. “He could not have been nicer. He was so nice and so everything. But you have to give him credit that what he’s doing for that country in terms of their world prestige is very strong.”

In the same interview, the Mango Monkey praises Putin’s invasion of Crimea.

“Well, he’s done an amazing job of taking the mantle ...And he’s taken it away from the President, and you look at what he’s doing. And so smart. When you see the riots in a country because they’re hurting the Russians, OK, ‘We’ll go and take it over.’ And he really goes step by step by step, and you have to give him a lot of credit.”

April 16, 2014
“Putin is having a great time toying with the President,” Trump says on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

tweet April 28, 2014
Putin has shown the world what happens when America has weak leaders. Peace Through Strength!

March 18, 2015
SCROTUS told the Daily Mail about his relationship with Putin: “the relationship is great, and it would be great if I had the position I should have.”

Li'l Faustus also said he received “a gift from Putin – an award and a beautiful letter.”

July 8, 2015
To CNN’s Anderson Cooper, he stated that if he were to become president, Putie would turn over Edward Snowden to the United States.

“I think I get along with (Putin) fine. I think he would be absolutely fine. He would never keep somebody like Snowden in Russia. He hates Obama. He doesn't respect Obama. Obama doesn't like him either. But he has no respect for Obama. Has a hatred for Obama. And Snowden is living the life. Look if that -- if I'm president, Putin says, hey, boom, you're gone. I guarantee you this.”

He retweeted someone stating Cutie Putie's supposed respect:"@bluestarwindow: @realDonaldTrump @bdean1468 Putin knows that Obama is a danger to the world. Putin will respect President Trump" True!

Sept. 29, 2015
Trump tells Bill O’Reilly: "I will tell you that I think in terms of leadership, he is getting an 'A,' and our president is not doing so well," Trump said. "They did not look good together."

Oct. 6, 2015
Trump tells conservative radio host Michael Savage he’s met Vladimir Putin and he's "great."  “Yes. Yes, a long time ago. We got along great, by the way.”

Dec. 18, 2015 (quote from CNN):

Trump said on Morning Joe that Putin was a better leader than Obama, and dismissed Joe Scarborough’s allegations that the Russian president “kills journalists that don’t agree with him.”
He added: "I think our country does plenty of killing also, Joe, so you know. There's a lot of stupidity going on in the world right now, a lot of killing going on, a lot of stupidity."

“He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country,” Trump said.

Dec. 20, 2015
In an interview with ABC’s “This Week"
“As far as the reporters are concerned — as far as the reporters are concerned, obviously I don't want that to happen. I think it's terrible — horrible. But, in all fairness to Putin, you're saying he killed people. I haven't' seen that. I don't know that he has. Have you been able to prove that? Do you know the names of the reporters that he's killed? Because I've been — you know, you've been hearing this, but I haven't seen the name. Now, I think it would be despicable if that took place, but I haven't' seen any evidence that he killed anybody in terms of reporters.”


Dec. 21, 2015
To Iowa radio host Simon Conway, “I’ve always had a good instinct about Putin. I just feel that that’s a guy—and I can analyze people and you’re not always right, and it could be that I won’t like him. But I’ve always had a good feeling about him from the standpoint.”


April 26, 2016
SCROTUS, in a primary victory speech “We're going to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia.”

April 28, 2016 (quote from CNN)

Trump says Putin has been “very nice” to him:  "I'm saying that I'd possibly have a good relationship. He's been very nice to me," Trump told Bill O’Reilly. "If we can make a great deal for our country and get along with Russia that would be a tremendous thing. I would love to try it."

June 3, 2016
At a rally in California: “Then Putin said, ’Donald Trump is a genius, he’s going to be the next great leader of the United States.’ No, no, think of it. They wanted me to disavow what he said. How dare you call me a genius. How dare you call me a genius, Vladimir. Wouldn’t it be nice if we actually got along with Russia? Wouldn’t that be good?"

July 27, 2016
At a campaign rally in Scranton, PA:  “wouldn't it be a great thing if we could get along with Russia.”

Sept. 7, 2016
SCROTUS says in a town hall with NBC’s Matt Lauer that he considers Putin a stronger leader than Barack Obama: “If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said, he is really very much of a leader. I mean, you can say, 'Oh, isn't that a terrible thing' -- the man has very strong control over a country. ...“Now, it's a very different system, and I don't happen to like the system. But certainly, in that system, he's been a leader, far more than our president has been a leader.”


Awwww..... 💖

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/08/cartoons-donald-trump-meets-with-vladimir-putin/

Putie has got something on SCROTUS.  Blackmail is the likely answer for this unabashed love affair.  Perhaps Little Sister Resister will explore that in a future post.....

In the meantime. #Resist!


********************

Now for the answers, friend or family?

Lightweight Senator @RandPaul should focus on trying to get elected in Kentucky--- a great state which is embarrassed by him. -- about Rand Paul, Republican Senator

Every Poll has me winning BIG.If you listen to dopey Karl Rove, a Trump hater, on @oreillyfactor, you would think I'm doing poorly. @FoxNews -- about Karl Rove, Republican strategist for President Bush / de facto President.

Truly weird Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky reminds me of a spoiled brat without a properly functioning brain. He was terrible at DEBATE! --about Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) again

@MeghanMcCain was terrible on @TheFive yesterday. Angry and obnoxious, she will never make it on T.V. @FoxNews can do so much better! -- about Meghan McCain, Fox News contributor and Senator McCain's daughter

@michellemalkin You were born stupid!  -- about Michelle Malkin, Conservative Blogger and Fox Contributor

Dopey @Lord_Sugar I'm worth $8 billion and you're worth peanuts...without my show nobody would even know who you are. -- about Lord Sugar,  Fellow billionaire and star of the British version of "The Apprentice"

When Mitt Romney asked me for my endorsement last time around, he was so awkward and goofy that we all should have known he could not win! -- About Mitt Romney, Republican Governor of Massachusetts and Preisidential candidate.

.@FrankLuntz is a low class slob who came to my office looking for consulting work and I had zero interest. Now he picks anti-Trump panels! - about Frank Luntz, Republican PR guy and Fox News contributor

Dummy writer @tonyschwartz, who wanted to do a second book with me for years (I said no), is now a hostile basket case who feels jilted! -- about Tony Schwartz, who collaborated and ghost-wrote "Art of the Deal"

I would never buy Ivana any decent jewels or pictures. Why give her negotiable assets?  -- about his then-wife Ivana

And on The View (just seeing this on my blog gives me the willies): “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

#Resist #Resist #Resist