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GOP blasted for interfering with racist Space Force commander who was fired after right-wing interview
May 17, 2021
Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier spoke to The Steve Gruber show about his new book "Irresistible Revolution: Marxism's Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military," which ultimately led to him being fired. Republicans have raced to his defense, saying that Lohmeier was doing nothing more than speaking out against Marxism, but that isn't entirely accurate.
Lohmeier likely wasn't fired for trashing the military publicly. Active duty military members, including Space Force, are typically regulated by military rules that prevent speaking to the press without permission from his boss, CNN.com explained Monday.
The fact that the book was published is also of concern. The blurb on Amazon broadcasts it as a "timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a new-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces."
Finally, Lohmeier's comments weren't about Marxism. When he was pressed by Gruber, he explained that he was against the New York Times' 1619 Project, which details the horrors of the American slave trade. Republicans have decided that teaching that slavery was bad is unamerican.
"It teaches intensive teaching that I heard at my base -- that at the time the country ratified the United States Constitution, it codified White supremacy as the law of the land," Lohmeier said. "If you want to disagree with that, then you start (being) labeled all manner of things including racist."
Indeed, those who agree with the legalization of slavery are racist. Those who oppose teaching that slavery is bad are also racist, something a Missouri mother complained about earlier in May.
The military is typically focused on cohesion and the mission. Anything that interrupts a military unit's cohesion could be seen as a firable offense depending on the commanders. Given the military's diversity, white supremacists in the military is enough of a problem that the Defense Department did a report on it.
It recalls a case of a Florida National Guards member, who belong to a neo-Nazi group. While chatting with a fellow white supremacist online he bragged he doesn't hide his leanings.
"Are you worried at all about being found by your mates or someone, now being in the U.S. military?" the friend asked.
"I was 100% open about everything with the friends I made at training. They know about it all. They love me too cause I'm a funny guy," said the guardsman.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted Sunday he will seek "action on this in the Armed Services Committee." He didn't explain what the action was, likely because he isn't aware of what the rules are for lawmakers intruding on the military's policies.
He wasn't the only one:
It’s outrageous that Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was removed from his command in the Space Force for voicing concerns… https://t.co/NzGT1t0Kjo— Rep. Ken Buck (@Rep. Ken Buck)1621131825.0
Troubling. Space Force officer relieved of post after denouncing Marxist ideology and critical race theory in mili… https://t.co/9z6MysDAok— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz)1621195240.0
Our military should be preparing to win battles - not being brainwashed with Marxist ideals. This man is a hero. https://t.co/IVwLR6uYqA— Rep Andy Biggs (@Rep Andy Biggs)1621257122.0
The comments from the Republican members sent other Americans calling out their intrusion in the military and accusations that they share the man's racist ideology.
See the comments below:
@Trishamott @RepKenBuck Followed by Captain Crozier https://t.co/n4n8ml9Lpg— Tina -#VoteBlue (@Tina -#VoteBlue)1621188908.0
@LadyJayPersists @RepKenBuck Republican politicians are like "The Hatch Act, what's that?"...— David O (@David O)1621201475.0
@RepKenBuck The fact that a US Congressman is attempting to interfere and inject his own political prejudice into a… https://t.co/cjvfDqhJgS— john vanada kelley (@john vanada kelley)1621170337.0
@MicahWalker7 @RepAndyBiggsAZ Andy wouldn't know..— AZZZZONIE🌵 (@AZZZZONIE🌵)1621265351.0
@RepAndyBiggsAZ @RepAndyBiggsAZ consistently votes no to healthcare for Veterans (and for seniors, children, and es… https://t.co/oTaMGmUm9z— Bryan (@Bryan)1621257900.0
@RepAndyBiggsAZ The drycleaners called, your hood is ready for pickup.— Arkan Wolfshade (@Arkan Wolfshade)1621258714.0
Our military should be preparing to win battles - not being brainwashed with Marxist ideals. This man is a hero. https://t.co/IVwLR6uYqA— Rep Andy Biggs (@Rep Andy Biggs)1621257122.0
@tedcruz Troubling. A senator doesn't understand the UCMJ. A senator fails to understand what limits placed on hi… https://t.co/WKW1gXMr7Z— Phys4all (@Phys4all)1621195927.0
@tedcruz If I published a book criticizing my bosses, then went on some media to sell my book about criticizing my… https://t.co/nUJMRikC5W— ImShaken (@ImShaken)1621195818.0
@tedcruz What’s troubling is that you’re still a sitting US Senator.— Janis Deyak (@Janis Deyak)1621195347.0
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On Monday, writing for Slate, Supreme Court analyst Mark Joseph Stern broke down how Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan demolished an argument of intellectually dishonest posturing from fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, who ruled for the right-wing majority to sharply limit the holding of Ramos v. Louisiana, which prohibited convictions by a non-unanimous jury.
In this week's Edwards v. Vannoy decision, Kavanaugh held that the decision does not apply retroactively to people already locked up by non-unanimous convictions — and obliterated precedent that defendants can be granted new trials based on "watershed" changes to criminal procedure, ruling that watershed changes don't exist.
As Stern noted, Kavanaugh took a swipe at Kagan in his opinion for criticizing his ruling as detrimental to prisoners, pointing out Kagan had dissented from Ramos anyway and his decision still leaves more prisoners free than her past votes would have done. But in her last footnote, Kagan shredded that argument — and Kavanaugh's entire judicial philosophy underpinning it.
"It treats judging as scorekeeping — and more, as scorekeeping about how much our decisions, or the aggregate of them, benefit a particular kind of party," wrote Kagan. "I see the matter differently. Judges should take cases one at a time, and do their best in each to apply the relevant legal rules. And when judges err, others should point out where they went astray. No one gets to bank capital for future cases; no one's past decisions insulate them from criticism. The focus always is, or should be, getting the case before us right."
In other words, wrote Stern, Kagan is calling out Kavanaugh's practice of acting like his past decisions, and even his past empathy for defendants he rules against, gives him the political capital to make whatever decision he wants down the line, free of criticism and scrutiny.
"Kagan's dissent in Edwards confirms that the justices is done trying to nab Kavanaugh's vote by pulling punches," wrote Stern. "Indefinitely confined to a three-justice minority, Kagan knows her influence is largely limited to dissents. If she cannot bring Kavanaugh around to her side, she might as well show the rest of us the cynicism at the heart of his jurisprudence."
You can read more here.
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Busted Capitol rioter 'brought the clothes he was wearing on January 6' to his FBI interview
May 17, 2021
Like many others arrested for taking part in the Capitol riot, Hunter Palm of Colorado has been charged with a list of crimes including obstruction of Congress, unlawful entry and disorderly conduct.
But Palm stood out in the crowd as one of the most vocal intruders and he also made it into the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. At the minimum, he was part of a group hurling some of the vicious threats and epithets of any of the insurrectionists -- even though the charges against him don't reflect that.
The FBI arrest complaint states that Palm admitted to agents that he entered the Capitol building -- he claimed "the police made a gap and allowed the crowd and Palm to enter the building" -- but his case was otherwise out of the ordinary. For one thing, according to the FBI, he provided a flash drive of videos he had taken off his cellphone.
In one video, the report says, Palm can be heard shouting "Stop the Steal!" In another, "the camera shakes as seen in the surveillance footage as if Palm is joining chants of "Whose house? Our house!"
The FBI complaint also stated:
"In another video Palm recorded, he and others walk through a hallway inside the Capitol, while some in the crowd call out for "Nancy," in an apparent reference to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. One individual shouts "Where are you?" and another can be heard stating "We're gonna kill her." Palm and the crowd approach a closed door marked "OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER.
"'In the video, other rioters open the door and someone shouts 'Come on you c*** Pelosi, get the fuck outta here.' Palm then enters the Speaker's Conference Room and can be heard asking, 'You guys want a tour?' Palm then walks around the conference room and records the screen of an open laptop sitting on a conference table.
"While approaching the laptop, Palm can be heard asking 'Who's good at hacking? Who's good at hacking?'"
The report also added this:
"Finally, Palm sits down at the head of the conference table, puts his feet up on the table and can be heard saying 'I think I like my new dining room. I pay for it!'"
In other videos, Palm can be seen standing on a Capitol terrace overlooking the East Mall and shouting down to fellow rioters, "Look out for the tear gas," according to the report.
In one other uncommon twist, Palm was reported to have "brought the clothes he was wearing on January 6, 2021, to the interview: a gray Levi- Strauss-branded hooded sweatshirt, with light blue jeans, a black hat with a white American flag with a blue stripe in the middle, and a blue and red flag with white stars and the words "TRUMP" and "Keep America Great."
Palm, whose address wasn't given but who has been ordered to report a probation office in Colorado Spring, CO, was apprehended by the FBI on a tip from a family member.
You can read the full FBI report here.
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