America voted in record numbers in the 2020 presidential election.  In what may have been more of a referendum against the craziness, incompetence, and corruption of the Trump presidency than support for radical centrist Joe Biden, 82 million Americans voted to oust Trump. Despite losing by 7 million votes, Trump and his allies filed a flood of lawsuits alleging widespread election fraud. Seventy lawsuits were thrown out for jurisdictional or procedural issues and with some judges noting a complete lack of supporting evidence.

 

The former president’s senior advisors made it clear to Trump on election night he had lost and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing sufficient to overturn the results, but he refused to accept his loss. Fueled by Trump’s incessant lies and rhetoric election denialism amongst the MAGA right thrived, manifesting in the shameful and violent uprising at our nation’s capital.

 

That so many people could be duped into behaving in such a violent and dishonorable way without any factual evidence and based solely upon the rantings of a sore loser and a handful of his sycophants is disheartening to everyone who believes in democracy. Nonetheless, Trump backed, election denying, MAGA candidates lost in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arizona, and Georgia and more perhaps indicating that common sense may finally be on the rise.

 

Sadly, it seems that Coos County may be slow to catch up with the rest of the country. Rod Taylor, who basically ran for the nonpartisan commission race solely on the basis that he was a far-right Trump conservative, anti-government, gun carrying, election denying conspiracy theorist and insurrectionist who made campaign promises he can’t possibly keep received just over 50% of the vote. Commissioners are not superheroes and are not empowered to overturn state and federal laws, plunder public resources, rewrite voting laws or rules surrounding salmon fisheries to name but a few but that didn’t stop him from pretending he could.

 

The fact Taylor thinks he can make the sweeping changes he proposes, even if he gained the support of one or both of his fellow commissioners, indicates just how incompetent he is. Incumbent Melissa Cribbins was clearly the most competent member of the Coos County Commission, and she will be missed. A former Republican strategist in DC recently stated that he would vote for crazy over incompetent. In the case of Rod Taylor, unfortunately we may have both.

 

Now that the January 6th prosecutions have crossed the Rubicon with the conviction of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs for seditious conspiracy in addition to obstruction, trespassing and more perhaps we will see indictments of those who helped perpetuate the Big Lie including Mike Flynn, Rudy Giuliani and cross your fingers, even Trump. Currently he is facing multiple civil suits and the Trump Organization is guilty of 17 counts of fraud. His time in public office has him facing criminal indictment and certainly brought his shady business dealings, tax avoidance and probable evasion and so much more to the attention of state and federal authorities.

 

Let’s ensure Rod Taylor receives the scrutiny he deserves. 

 

 

Florida Sheriff Grady Judd describes arrest of a “sovereign” citizen linked to January 6th Insurrection

Samual Doolin, brother of Joshua Doolin and cousin of Jonathan Pollock, both indicted for their participation in the January 6th insurrection has been arrested for felony firearms violations and considers himself a sovereign citizen and therefore not subject to state and federal law. Citizens Restoring Liberty are said to be involved with “sovereigns” as Polk refers to them.

Joshua Doolin’s trial begins in March but he plans to use a public authority defense alleging that “he was directed and authorized to go to the Capitol building and enter the Capitol Grounds by Donald J. Trump and his various agents and representatives…”

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tried that defense as well and it failed.