1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

“In just the last few days: Trump made a deal for the U.S. to buy Russian diesel, an economic lifeline for Putin; he and Elon Musk blamed each other for an order that slowed down Starlink satellite connectivity over Ukraine, hampering the country’s defenses during a devastating Russian attack; and Trump waived sanctions on Russia that Congress, led by his late friend Lindsey Graham, had pushed for. Now, Putin has proposed a summit with Trump and Xi to decide Ukraine’s fate for them, bulldoze a century of international cooperation, and frame Russia as an equal to the U.S. and China. “We’ll see if Putin’s puppet continues to dance on his strings.” That lady was not wrong back then about Putin’s puppet was she? What will our elected officials do about our president’s continued cuddling and coddling of a guy who wants America destroyed? Anything? Meanwhile, from WaPo reporting today… “A small group of U.S. national security officials has been discreetly advising state governments and congressional lawmakers on how to prepare for the possibility that the Trump administration will attempt to interfere in November’s midterm elections, according to people involved in the effort. The group includes about 10 current and former officials with experience in the Defense Department, some of whom have previously focused on countering authoritarianism abroad. Their efforts are motivated not by political bias, they say, but a growing sense of alarm that President Donald Trump will harm American democracy by undermining the integrity of the vote to keep the Republican Party in power.” So…precautions some states are taking are primarily against potential FEDERAL interference in the midterms. In fact over the past year the possibility of federal interference has become the dominant concern voiced by election officials around the country. Savor that for a sec…the main threat to election interference is coming from inside the house. The Oval Office to be exact. Meanwhile, we wonder why they bother… Republicans running for office are refusing to hold town halls. Or debate their Dem challengers. Constituents are furious with Republican policies. And all their candidates seem able to muster is to keep their heads down. Hoping that they can be elected, or reelected, if they simply keep their mouths shut. One assessment… “Up and down the ballot, the [Republican Party] has nominated crackpots and nitwits, none more colorful than Victor Marx, their nominee for governor in Colorado. Marx refuses to say how many people he has killed (though he says his stepfather forced him to commit his first murder at age 7), hunts demons, claims he can call in US airstrikes, and boasts of being a seventh-degree black belt in a martial art he invented. Normal stuff!” Turns out bottom of the barrel behavior brings bottom of the barrel consequences. And candidates. Time to look in the mirror y’all.