The History of Fort Pickens
August 26, 2023 9:19am
To many people in Pensacola, Fort Pickens is just an old fort at the far end of Pensacola Beach. But to those who appreciate history, it is an interesting structure that, along with Fort McRee and Fort Barrancas, defended Pensacola's deepwater port from attack.
On today's radio program, I interviewed Park Ranger Cas Rosiecki about Fort Pickens. We discussed the fort's construction, Civil War activities, and its recently discovered role in the Underground Railroad. He also explained Geronimo's imprisonment at the massive island structure along with its current status as part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Our conversation is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230826
The Flagrantly Unconstitutional Indictment of Donald Trump in Georgia
August 19, 2023 9:22am
I read the entire 98 page indictment of Donald Trump and associates issued by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The charges against him are entirely political and are one hundred percent unconstitutional. Of the 161 acts the prosecutor lists in her indictments as felonious, Donald Trump is accused of committing 43. That's about 25%.
This is the summary of his so-called offenses:
12 were tweets.
2 were nationally televised public speeches (one was on November 4th, and the other was the January 6th speech at the Ellipse in Washington).
1 was an official statement released by the Trump Campaign.
9 were meetings or telephone conversations that occurred somewhere outside Georgia's borders and that had absolutely nothing to do with Georgia.
12 were meetings or telephone conversations that occurred somewhere outside Georgia's borders but did pertain to Georgia.
6 were meetings or telephone conversations that occurred somewhere outside Georgia's borders in which no state was specified in the indictment.
One of Trump's alleged felonies was for the "crime" of meeting in the Oval Office with officials from the Pennsylvania legislature to discuss possible Pennsylvania actions; something that had absolutely nothing to do with Georgia!
Trump's only so-called "offense" that does not meet one of those parameters was Act #108, which was a court filing in Atlanta contesting Georgia's election results. Willis wants Trump sent to prison for exercising his First Amendment Right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Seriously. Every single charge against Trump in her indictment is specious, unconstitutional, and should be dismissed by the Court before going to trial.
So to summarize, EVERY allegation against Donald Trump is for something that is a CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED RIGHT guaranteed by the First Amendment. Some of Willis' listed acts do allege actual crimes by some Trump associates. Those may survive judicial scrutiny and be sent to a jury. But almost all are certainly not crimes, and all are definitely politically-motivated charges intended solely to destroy Trump's chance of getting elected in 2024.
Every single act the indictment says Donald Trump did was a completely legal act. But taken together, Willis claims, they constituted overt acts in furtherance of a conspiracy. In simple terms, Donald Trump committed no criminal acts at all. But together, they were all criminal. Yeah, that really is the best summation of the 98 page indictment. Don't believe me? Go read it yourself. Because the fake news sure as hell ain't gonna tell you that truth.
Any convictions of Trump in this case will certainly be thrown out by an appellate court. But that will happen long after Donald Trump loses the 2024 election. The Democrats' weaponization of government against Donald Trump is disgusting. And dangerous. That the DemonRats are celebrating the indictment shows just how evil and un-American they are.
I reviewed the charges on my radio show today. It is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230819
If you only have time to listen to one of the four segments, listen to segment 3. But unless you're a partisan hater, be prepared to get angry. Because the unjust weaponization of government against Donald Trump is far worse than you know.
And remember, I do not want Trump back in The White House. So what I said is not pro-Trump. What I said is pro-America. Because if the Democrats can get away with unconstitutionally destroying Donald Trump, they will get away with destroying the United States as a free, constitutional Republic.
Thomas Jefferson & Monticello
July 29, 2023 9:30am
Thomas Jefferson's gravestone at the Monticello Plantation states these accomplishments: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia." But among other significant achievements, he was also the third President of the United States. Why isn't that included? Because Jefferson didn't want it there.
Jefferson wrote his own epitaph along with a very specific drawing of what he wanted his obelisk tombstone to look like. So omitting his presidency of eight years was deliberate. He instructed that he wanted those specific words to be inscribed "and not a word more... because by these, as testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be remembered." But Thomas Jefferson's life was far more than the three things listed on his tombstone. His revolutionary words, effective diplomacy, and visionary ideas continue to inspire and lift civilizations around the world.
On today's radio program, I interviewed historian John Ragosta, the Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. We discussed how Jefferson held contradictory views about human freedom while owning hundreds of slaves. We talked about how he fathered six children with his slave Sally Hemings, which is a far more complicated story than most people understand. And we examined how, almost two hundred years after his death, he still influences American society and politics.
Our interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230729
Misconceptions About the Tuskegee Airmen
July 22, 2023 11:18am
Do you know the story of the Tuskegee Airmen? Don't be so quick to answer "yes" to that question. I thought I knew the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. But upon reading Daniel Haulman's new book, "Misconceptions About the Tuskegee Airmen: Refuting Myths About America's First Black Military Pilots," I learned that much of what I knew was false.
And I bet much of what you think you know about the Tuskegee Airmen is also not true. So to clear things up, I invited Daniel Haulman onto my radio show to discuss it. Our conversation aired this morning on The Mike Bates Show and is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230722
The myths and misconceptions are too numerous to list here. But Daniel and I covered many of them in our conversation. You can listen to learn some of them, or you can buy the book to learn them all. In it, Daniel Haulman tells the true story of America's first Black military pilots whose truth is better than the fiction.
The History of Arlington National Cemetery
July 15, 2023 10:24am
On March 22nd, I visited Arlington National Cemetery to record an interview with ANC historian Tim Frank. That interview aired this morning on The Mike Bates Show.
From how Robert E. Lee's land was illegally taken for creation of the cemetery, to well-known Americans who are buried there, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to the meaningful choreography of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, we covered it all.
Upon conclusion of our production, I put my recording gear back in the rental car, and then walked through the cemetery for a few hours. I've been to Arlington more than a dozen times, but I still feel the importance, serenity, and reverence of those hallowed grounds each time I visit.
The Changing of the Guard ceremony I attended was followed by a changing of the wreath ceremony at the Tomb that was just as stirring as the Changing of the Guard - perhaps more so because the wreath ceremony included a lone bugler playing Taps. When I was on the west side of the cemetery, horses pulling an artillery caisson with a casket rolled by. I did not follow it all the way to the grave site so as not to intrude on the grieving family.
The interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230715
What REALLY Happened on The Cross?
April 8, 2023 8:33am
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Do you know what REALLY happened on the Cross?
That's not a trick question. Most people - even most Christians - do not.
On today's radio program, Reverend Carl Gallups shared the surprising and irrefutable explanation for what Jesus meant when He said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Whether you're already a Christian or not, you'll want to hear segments 3 and 4 of the program because it will probably stun you with the shocking explanation of what really happened on Calvary's Cross. It did me.
I promise you won't regret the 25 minutes it'll take to listen to it. It may even change your life forever. And by "forever," I mean that literally. It may change your eternal life. I think today's message is THAT powerful.
The episode is now available online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230408 (segments 3 & 4).
The Weaponization of Government for the Political Persecution of Donald Trump
April 4, 2023 8:13pm
Donald Trump was arrested today and formally charged with 34 felonies. All counts allege falsification of business records. Under normal circumstances, the falsification of business records would be misdemeanors. But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is pursuing the alleged offenses as felonies for purely partisan political purposes.
Shortly after he took his oath of office, Bragg stated he would not prosecute prostitution, resisting arrest, trespassing, and most other misdemeanors. Is it any surprise that major felony offenses (murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, and grand larceny) in Manhattan are up a whopping 26 percent? But he thinks it's important to pursue alleged seven year old misdemeanors as felonies???
Bragg hates Donald Trump and promised during his campaign that, if elected, he would arrest the former President and charge him with felonies. That alone should be grounds to dismiss all charges and remove Bragg from office for prosecutorial misconduct. But since New York is run by radical Leftists and corrupt judges, the chance of that happening is zero.
Bragg's grand jury had one defendant in mind; Donald Trump. Its creation was just as dishonest and just as biased as Pelosi's January 6th Committee. The only difference is that Pelosi's committee didn't have the authority to effectuate an arrest.
Lavrentiy Beria, the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (Joseph Stalin's secret police in the Soviet Union) once said, "Show me the man, and I'll show you the crime.” It is typical under Communist tyranny to abuse the criminal code to eliminate political rivals. Today, it is the Democrat Party that has stooped to using those tactics. And it is disgusting.
With a fair justice system, when a crime has been committed, authorities investigate to discover who committed it. But when it comes to Trump, Democrat authorities identified their political target and then searched for his crime. While the underlying crime is a stretch of credulity in and of itself, its upgrade from misdemeanors to Class E felonies is outrageous and unlawful. Bragg charged Trump with felonies based upon the theory that Trump's conduct was intended to conceal another crime - that crime being a violation of federal campaign laws.
Well, first of all, violations of federal campaign laws are not state crimes and cannot be prosecuted in state courts. Secondly, because Trump has not been convicted of any federal crimes, the allegations that he committed federal crimes should not be admissible in any state court action. So elevating misdemeanors to felonies based on allegations that cannot be proven one way or another should be grounds for dismissal of all charges.
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump supposedly paid hush money to porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Democrats say they were illegal campaign contributions because they were intended to help Trump's campaign. But all Trump would have to say is that he paid the money not to prevent harm to his campaign but to prevent harm to his marriage or to his reputation as the leader of the Trump Organization. And how would anyone prove otherwise???
Even beyond that obvious defense, Bragg has bent over backwards to misinterpret the New York laws he's charged Trump with violating. Because I know the fake news won't report it, I took the time to look up the New York Penal Code myself. And what to my wondering eyes did appear? The requirement that a falsified business record be done with “intent to defraud." You can read it yourself at www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/175.10
So who does Bragg allege Trump was defrauding? Stormy? No. Himself? No. His privately-held company? No. The New York taxing authorities? Still no. The payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal would be deductible as legitimate business expenses regardless of whether they were paid to silence them, or if they were paid to develop a comprehensive business plan to expand Trump's enterprises. Further, since neither woman was a W-2 employee of the Trump Organization, FICA taxes wouldn't even be withheld. And even if they did have to be withheld but weren't (which is absolutely not the case), that would be a federal issue not a state issue. Bragg has no jurisdiction over federal matters whatsoever. Yet he is building his entire case upon it.
If it wasn't for double standards, Democrats would have no standards at all. Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump's opponent in the 2016 election, committed actual, provable felonies related to the handling of classified documents, the use of a private e-mail server to conduct official government business, and the falsification of records to conceal her role in the genesis of the phony Russian Collusion hoax that crippled Trump's presidency. The effects of those lies linger today. Even after being exposed as Democrat lies, many Americans still believe Trump was Putin's puppet. And don't forget that the DNC-financed Steele dossier was used as the basis for obtaining fraudulent FISA warrants against innocent American citizens.
But did Hillary get prosecuted for her crimes? No, of course not. The "D" in parenthesis after a politician's name stands for "Do Not Prosecute." But she was required by the Federal Election Commission to pay an $8000 civil fine for her crime of falsifying records. And the Democratic National Committee paid a $105,000 fine. Should the Justice Department have prosecuted her? Arguably, yes. But Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr wrote in his memoir that Trump told him he did not want her to be prosecuted because it would make the United States look like a banana republic.
During campaign rallies, Trump supporters would often chant, "Lock her up! Lock her up!" In response, the Democrats and their allies in the propaganda press went apoplectic claiming that Trump was a wannabe dictator who would imprison his political rivals. But now that it is a fellow DemonRat going through the process of actually trying to imprison a political rival, the Left applauds.
A conviction for the Class E felony of falsifying business records can result in a prison term of up to four years. But the goal of the disgusting DemonRats is not to see Trump imprisoned - although most Democrats would be delighted if that were to happen. The DemonRats' goal is to destroy Trump politically, so he cannot win the 2024 election. That is a tactic used in banana republics. It is not a tactic used in a constitutional republic that is governed by the rule of law. But Democrats are not interested in the rule of law. They are only interested in ruling. And there is nothing they wouldn't do to put themselves in a position to rule.
It should be noted that while Bragg is stretching the laws beyond their breaking point to prosecute Trump's potentially misdemeanor actions as felonies, his office has prosecuted 52% of real felonies as reduced-charged misdemeanors. The Democrat's weaponization of governmental power to harm their political opponents is disgraceful.
Whether or not Donald Trump will be convicted or not depends largely on where the trial is held. I have no confidence Trump would get a fair trial with a Manhattan jury. So it's a coin toss. As to the effect this travesty of justice will have on his presidential ambitions, I see it harming him. Yes, the Trump loyalists support him now more than ever. But voters in the mushy middle are turned off by it. And it is that mushy middle that determines the results in a general election. So I predict today's arraignment will help Trump in the primary. But it will hurt him in the general election.
I do not want Donald Trump back in The White House. But I also don't want the Democrats to succeed in the political assassination of their enemies. The persecution (not prosecution) of Donald Trump is disgusting. But such is the state of the Democrats' Amerika.
The National Naval Aviation Museum Opens to Civilians This Weekend (Temporarily)
March 25, 2023 8:45am
The National Naval Aviation Museum has been closed to civilians since the December 6, 2019 terrorist attack on the base. But it is opening to the public this weekend only.
Long terms plans are still unknown. But today and tomorrow, from 9:00am - 3:00pm, Department of Defense ID cards will not be required to get aboard NAS Pensacola. All civilians must use the West Gate at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway. And all guests 18 and older must have a valid state or federal identification with photo.
To celebrate the temporary opening (although I wish it was a permanent reopening), this morning's Mike Bates Show featured museum historian and Deputy Director Hill Goodspeed. We discussed the history of naval aviation and the museum itself. That episode is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230325
How Will Florida Recognize Its Indian Tribes?
March 11, 2023 9:09am
The annual 60 day session of the Florida Legislature began this week in Tallahassee. While the constitution only requires the legislature to pass one bill (the budget), thousands of bills are under consideration.
Among those bills are House Bill 553 and Senate Bill 954. The two bills would give state recognition to four specific Indian tribes and bands: The Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muscogee, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The bills would also create a process through which other tribes and bands could petition the state for recognition in the future.
While these bills may appear innocuous, they do not have universal support of Florida's Native American Tribes. Chief Ghost Dancer of the Perdido Bay Tribe of Lower Muscogee Creek Indians explained his opposition to this bill on my radio program today. Our interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230311 (Segment 3).
He explained his opposition to One America News Network last week. That is viewable at https://rumble.com/v2bgvdy-chief-ghost-dancer-were-begging-desantis-to-kill-indian-recognition-bill.html?fbclid=IwAR0C2qDkbutaUn4pu4bzaO7smk6RL4OnnXuo95b2kH6j55P2Zf5jbuVh_bA
How Biden Plans to Give U.S. Sovereignty to the World Health Organization
March 4, 2023 10:14am
The COVID-19 pandemic was used by governments around the world to impose severe and devastating lockdowns of economies and of populations. Here in the United States, under the guise of protecting us from an illness that 71.38% of us didn't get, and that 98.92% of those who did get it survived, elected tyrants suspended our constitutional rights to the free exercise of religion; peaceable assembly; free press; keeping and bearing arms; freedom from unreasonable and warrantless searches; not being deprived of liberty or property without due process of law; speedy and public trials; and bail.
Most of that was done at the state level. But when Joe Biden was inaugurated, he imposed additional unconstitutional mandates nationwide. And if you think that was bad, just wait 'til next time. Because next time it may not be elected tyrants in Washington micromanaging your life and restricting your freedoms; it may be bureaucrats in Geneva at the World Health Organization doing so.
The Biden administration says it will sign a legally binding agreement that would give control of America's health care policy to the WHO. In the event of a health emergency, the United States and all other signatories would be obligated to follow the directives of the WHO regarding medical treatments, global supply chains, vaccine mandates, societal lockdowns, and surveilling populations for compliance.
While it is being promoted as something that would benefit us during the next pandemic, the truth is that it would allow the WHO to dictate ALL health care policies in the United States at any time. The current draft of this agreement authorizes the WHO to dictate health care both during a pandemic AND "during inter-pandemic times." In other words, the WHO can ALWAYS dictate polices because there are only two times: pandemic times and inter-pandemic times.
The agreement mandates that health care is provided equally to all without regard for ability to pay. And that doesn't just mean the United States would have to provide free health care to the poor people America; we would have to provide it to poor people around the world. It demands that countries deny protection of intellectual property rights to providers of vaccines and other health care products. And it calls for "resilient health systems, rooted in universal health coverage."
And since no Leftist agenda can be without diversity, equity, and inclusion, the agreement demands that every nation will "take steps to address the social, environmental and economic determinants of health, and vulnerability conditions that contribute to the emergence and spread of pandemics, and prevent or mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of pandemics, including but not limited to, those affecting economic growth, the environment, employment, trade, transport, gender equality, education, social assistance, housing, food insecurity, nutrition and culture, and especially for persons in vulnerable situations."
This treaty will turn over U.S. sovereignty vis a vis health care to the World Health Organization. But what is health care? Health care can be anything and everything! From the food we eat to the cars we drive to the places we live, EVERYTHING can have a health care angle attributed to to it. According to the Leftists, what is the greatest threat to public health? Climate Change, right? So you can expect the WHO to meddle in rules to limit carbon emissions to mitigate their mythological anthropogenic climate change. And since EVERYTHING can be said to affect the climate, the WHO could potentially dictate terms in all aspects of our lives.
Democrats say the biggest health care emergency in America is guns. Will the WHO try to infringe upon our right to keep and bear arms? Don't put it past 'em. There is no angle the Left will not use to deny us our constitutional rights. So don't be surprised if the WHO tells you to register or turn in your firearms. Our First Amendment rights may be denied under the guise of preventing "health care disinformation."
This treaty has the potential to establish a worldwide police state controlled by the WHO that will micromanage every aspect of our lives. But do not expect the Senate to block this treaty. By calling it an "executive agreement" instead of calling it the "treaty" that it is, Biden has no intention of submitting it to the Senate for ratification. And he might get away with that.
In the 1920 case of Missouri v. Holland, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states were bound by international treaties. Then in 1937, the high court in U.S. v. Belmont expanded that to include executive agreements that were not treaties. Justice Sutherland wrote in that unanimous opinion that different kinds of treaties existed which did not require Senate approval but were nonetheless binding.
Mat Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel and I discussed this issue on today's Mike Bates Show, which is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230304.
Keep an eye on this back door imposition of global tyranny upon us. The propaganda press has made the intentional decision to not report this threat to our Republic. But I assure you, it is very real. Trust but verify, right? Check the links I've included in this post for the raw sources.
Is there no limit to what the Democrats will do to destroy U.S. sovereignty? It appears not. Stolen elections have consequences.
The USS Midway: America's Longest Serving Aircraft Carrier of the 20th Century
February 18, 2023 10:10am
I recently visited the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. The USS Midway (CV-41), America's longest serving aircraft carrier of the 20th Century, is now a floating museum. It was my second time aboard. I had previously visited in 2007, three years after the museum opened to the public. It was a nice museum in 2007. It is a spectacular museum today. The staff has done an outstanding job with the exhibits, the interactive tours, and so many knowledgeable docents that answers to questions were readily available throughout the ship.
While aboard, I interviewed ship historian Karl Zingheim about the Midway, the World War II battle for which she is named, and her current status as a museum. I encourage you to visit the museum and to listen to our interview. It aired on my radio program today and is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230218
Will Florida Allow Permitless Concealed Weapons?
February 7, 2023 11:58pm
I just got home from Tallahassee where I spent the day at The Capitol meeting with lawmakers and attending the hearing of the House Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law & Government Operations Subcommittee, which is considering HB 543 that would drop the permit requirement to lawfully carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida.
The bill in its current form does not eliminate concealed carry permits in Florida. It would just render them unnecessary. But if someone wanted a permit (perhaps for reciprocity with other states), one could still be obtained. Also in its current form, the bill makes no changes to Florida's prohibitions on open carry. That has angered many pro-Second Amendment advocates. While open carry should be legal in Florida as it is in 46 other states, HB 543 should still be supported without it. HB 543 isn't perfect. And Florida still has a long way to go in restoring Second Amendment Rights that have been legislated away over the years. But HB 543 is a step in the right direction. Our rights were not taken away in a single act, and they will not all be restored in a single act. But any bill that moves us toward true constitutional carry should be supported. We must not allow perfection to be the enemy of good.
While at The Capitol, I met with Eric Friday, the general counsel and lobbyist for Florida Carry about the proposed law. He and I were both at today's committee hearing about that bill, and I interviewed him afterwards. That interview will air this Saturday on WPNN Radio from 7a - 8a (CT). Within an hour of airing, it will be put online as a podcast.
The usual gaggle of anti-gun enemies of our Constitution are up in arms about this bill (if you'll pardon the expression). They claim it would lead to more gun murders even though that hasn't happened in the 25 states that currently allow permitless carry. Many who spoke in opposition at today's committee hearing cited the murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Pulse nightclub, and the FSU library as reasons permitless carry should not be allowed, while completely ignoring the fact that the evil killers who committed those crimes already ignored Florida's laws against carrying firearms and murdering people.
The bill passed the committee today on a 10 - 5 vote with all Republicans supporting it, and all Democrats opposing it. No surprise in that, huh? Democrats typically oppose our Constitutional Rights.
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UPDATED February 11, 2023 @ 9:19am: My interview with Eric Friday, the general counsel and lobbyist for Florida Carry, aired this morning and is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230211
The Debt Ceiling Drama Explained
February 4, 2023 11:15am
There is a well-publicized fight going on in Washington right now that is presented with the typical Leftist bias of the propaganda press. And that is the binary decision about whether Republicans will vote to responsibly raise the debt ceiling or irresponsibly throw a temper tantrum which will destroy the country and plunge the world into a deep economic depression. Of course, the reality is not that binary. But since the fake news won't explain it properly, I will.
Every so often, the U.S. Treasury approaches the maximum debt it is allowed to incur under the law. And every so often Congress votes to increase that amount - what is known as the debt ceiling. The Democrats keep saying there should be no such thing as a debt ceiling because the increase in the federal government's credit line is only needed because Congress has previously spent money it didn't have, thus necessitating an increase in the amount the Treasury has to borrow.
But although that description is correct - that increasing the debt ceiling does not in and of itself increase spending, and that the additional debt is needed to fund obligations the Congress has already made, it is completely irresponsible to simply keep spending and borrowing and spending and borrowing and spending and borrowing. And it is at these periodic times when the debt ceiling needs to be raised that a conversation about stopping, or at least slowing, the crazy deficit spending needs to occur.
It is an opportunity to address the pain of borrowing without the pleasure of simultaneous spending. To put it in household terms, the time to have a conversation about having too much debt is not on the showroom floor at the car dealership when you're gonna justify more debt because you're drooling over that fancy car and don't care what it costs. If the bank will loan you the money, you're gonna drive that car home no matter how irresponsible that additional debt is. The time to have a conversation about debt is at the kitchen table when you're looking at stacks of bills, and you realize you don't have sufficient cash to pay 'em all. THAT'S when the responsible conversation should occur.
Well, the debate about the debt ceiling is the kitchen table piled high with stacks of bills. There aren't constituents begging for more freebies or colleagues on both sides of the aisles looking to buy more votes with taxpayer money. So what the Republicans are trying to do with their stance on the debt ceiling is to force spending cuts into the conversation. But the Democrats want to just keep spending as if money grew on trees.
But there are serious constitutional issues at play here too. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the power to pay the debts of the United States. And Section 4 of the Fourteenth Amendment makes defaulting on the debt unconstitutional. The exact words are "the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."
The reason that language was included in the post-Civil War 14th Amendment was to 1) assure America's creditors that the debts the Union incurred to finance the Civil War would be repaid, 2) to void any and all debt incurred by the Confederacy to finance its side of the war, and 3) to prevent any claims for compensation over emancipated slaves. In fact, the second part of that section of the 14th Amendment states, "but neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void."
But for the purposes of this discussion, we'll focus on the first part. The validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned. What the words "shall not be questioned" mean is that the debts must be paid no matter what. Period. End of story. It is unconstitutional for the United States to NOT pay its debts. That's quite clear. And that's one of the reasons we enjoy such a high credit rating and such low borrowing costs compared to other nations. It's not the only factor, however. The size of our economy, the strength and stability of our Republic, the fact that the U.S. dollar is used globally for most oil transactions, and that sales on the various U.S. stock exchanges are denominated in dollars, plus other factors, all contribute to the ability of the U.S. government to easily borrow money at costs that are much lower than what most other nations must pay.
But here's the rub. Although the Constitution says we have to pay our debts, there is no penalty if we don't. To be clear, we'd pay a penalty in the form of market turmoil, higher interest rates, and probably a hit to our GDP. But in terms of there being a direct penalty imposed on the people who violate that requirement of the 14th Amendment, there isn't one.
But let's be real. We all know... I know... you know... McCarthy knows... and Biden knows... we all know that the debt ceiling will be raised before America defaults on its debt. We all know that the whole public fight about the debt ceiling is political posturing. It always has been every time there's a fight about it. It is now. And it always will be. It's a show. That doesn't mean McCarthy and the Republicans should just cave. They should engage in this battle because it's the only way the Republicans are going to call attention to the outrageous spending of the 116th and 117th Congresses.
The 116th Congress was 2019 and 2020. It had a slim Republican majority in the Senate and a significant Democrat majority in the House. It was the Congress that was responsible for the absurd giveaways of the COVID bailouts and ridiculously high unemployment benefits during the government-mandated shutdowns.
And then the 117th Congress had a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, but Kamala Harris' tie-breaking votes really gave full control to the Democrats. The House had a solid Democrat majority, and Biden held The White House. And what did that one-party rule do? They spent addition trillions on even more unnecessary so-called "COVID relief" bills; the climate change agenda that was called the "Inflation Reduction Act" so people who knew nothing about it but the title would support it; and they added TRILLIONS in unfunded spending. And that reckless fiscal policy simply cannot continue. Now, don't think for a minute the Republicans are innocent here. BOTH parties spend money faster than drunken sailors - because when drunk sailors run out of money, they stop drinking. But politicians of both parties keep spending. So both parties are to blame. It's just that Democrats are to blame more.
And in the end, all that spending necessitates borrowing. And all that borrowing necessitates increasing the debt ceiling. And that's where we are now; with a partisan fight in Washington that, as usual, is being misrepresented by the fake news to make the Republicans look like the bad guys and to make the Democrats look like our saviors.
But Speaker McCarthy cannot prevent a House vote on the debt ceiling if enough House members want it put to a vote. If a majority of House members wanted a straight up or down vote on just the debt limit, they could force it to the floor over the Speakers objection via a discharge petition. And that could be done if all Democrats plus a half dozen Republicans joined together in a voting block. Democrats would love to do that because it would greatly undermine the power of the Speaker and weaken him in the eyes of his conference. But for now, Republicans are holding together, and Democrats are enjoying the media's portrayal of Republicans as evil and bitter partisans who want to destroy this country.
The real debt ceiling problem is that Republicans are being accused by the Democrats and their allies in the propaganda press as being nothing but obstructionists who are going to cause a default which would trigger economic destruction. Although Republicans always get the short end of the stick when there are partisan fights, the Speaker is not without options. What he should do is pass a bill in the House - which can be done with zero votes from Democrats - that raises the debt ceiling but also includes the requirements for the spending cuts he is demanding. That would then put the issue of the debt ceiling in front of the Senate.
And that would mean it would be the Senate not voting to raise the debt ceiling. The reason the Senate would be unwilling to raise the debt ceiling is because they object to certain cuts that would be included in that House bill. But that is how the process works. In a bicameral legislature, both parties need to agree to every jot and tittle of a bill. They need to be identical. But it would give the Republicans an advantage of holding at least some moral high ground in that they could honestly say "What do you mean Republicans are refusing to raise the debt ceiling? We already passed legislation that raises the debt ceiling! It is the Senate Democrats and the President who are refusing to go along with it."
Yet while that would be factually true, the fake news would continue to blame Republicans for it. Because that's what the fake news always does. It's kind of like when there are government shutdowns. The Democrats and their allies in the fake news always blame the Republicans. Democrats never receive blame for it, even though the reason the government has shut down is because the House, Senate, and President have not agreed upon identical legislation to keep it open. That's how our government works! So if you're not a bitter partisan, you blame all three: the House, the Senate, and the President because those three all need to agree before a bill can become law. But the fake news is comprised of bitter partisans. And most Americans are too ignorant to know they're being played for fools.
Democrats and the media - but I repeat myself - have told you the Democrats want to responsibly raise the debt ceiling but irresponsible Republican don't. But how have the Democrats voted vis a vis the debt ceiling when they were in the minority and under a Republican president?
Well, Joe Biden, in 2006 when he was a Senator, voted AGAINST raising the debt ceiling. So did Chuck Schumer. In 2006, EVERY Democrat in Congress voted against raising the debt limit. In 2004, all but two Democrats voted against raising the debt limit. In 2003, all but three Senate Democrats voted against raising the debt limit. Yet Democrats now say refusing to raise the debt ceiling is akin to treason. Yeah, but remember, if it wasn't for double standards, Democrats would have no standards at all.
We are absolutely, one-hundred percent NOT going to default on our debt. Anyone who tells you otherwise is engaging in fear-mongering for partisan gain. Unfortunately, that includes almost all the so-called "news" media. So why am I telling you this? Because unlike the fake news whose goal is not to inform but to inflame, I want you to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Why Florida SHOULD Ban the So-Called "African-American History" Course
February 4, 2023 9:56am
As usual, the Fake News has once again lied about Governor DeSantis and the Florida law that caused the state Department of Education to reject a College Board AP course on African-American History. If all you've heard is what the propaganda press spoon-fed you - which is pretty much all the fake news told you (well, that and that Ron DeSantis is a racist) - you probably think the curriculum should not have been rejected. But it absolutely should have been. What Florida has done is ban anti-America propaganda not "courses."
There is a very valid reason the state of Florida will not be participating in the new so-called "history" course. The syllabus for that AP class is heavy on Leftist propaganda and short on actual historical facts. It includes several destructive elements of Critical Race Theory. Somehow, the authors found it important to include Queer Theory in their program (Queer Theory is the indoctrination of pro-LGBTQAI+ and whatever other non-traditional sexual deviancy of the day is being promoted).
Florida is one of several states that have properly banned public schools from teaching Critical Race Theory. Most people have no clue what Critical Race Theory actually is. The Democrats and their allies in the propaganda press want you to believe CRT is nothing more than teaching about the race-based slavery that once existed in America; and that all CRT does is educate people about America's racist past. But what Critical Race Theory ACTUALLY is is the teaching that America was founded by racists who hated black people; that the laws of America are still racist against black people; and that the only solution to the problem of a racist America that discriminates against black people is to mandate that we now discriminate against white people.
Critical Race Theory separates Americans into two groups based solely upon skin color. If you're white, you're an evil oppressor, and if you're any other color, you're oppressed by the evil white people. And that applies to every white person in America - because even if a white person judges people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, the society we live in is so inherently racist, that ALL white people benefit from 400 years of oppressing black people to the extent that all whites are racists themselves - even if they don't want to be, and even if they exhibit no racism themselves. CRT is the teaching that the American society itself is so racist and so based upon white supremacy that no white people can avoid being racists themselves.
It is a system intended to cause people, especially black people, to hate America; and for people, especially black people, to blame any and every problem in their lives on the fact that a black man was brought to America as a slave in 1619; and as a result, every cultural norm, every rule, every regulation, every law, every everything is designed to further oppress the black man. And the black woman.
The NAACP, which supports brainwashing our kids with their destructive Leftist propaganda describes Critical Race Theory as an academic framework to teach that "racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities."
But contrary to what the Leftist activists want you to believe, they don't just want to teach our youth that slavery was once legal in America. That is a fact. And it is a fact that SHOULD be taught. And not just “should” be taught. The history of slavery MUST be taught. But the black & white version (if you'll pardon the pun) that is currently taught gives the false impression that slavery existed only in the American South. It did not. Slavery existed across the planet for millennia.
Slavery in the Caribbean and South America existed almost a century before any English colonies were established in what is now the United States. And the last slaves in the U.S. to be freed were freed in the Union states of New Jersey, Kentucky, and Delaware. Those are provable historical facts. But 99% of people would say they're untrue solely because they've never learned it.
There is no nice way to teach about slavery because slavery isn't nice. But to teach a false version is to deny truthful knowledge. It is a disservice to both free people today and to the millions of enslaved people who preceded us.
Moreover, Critical Race Theory is NOT just the teaching of America's racist past. It is the false propaganda that everything about America is still racist, and that the only remedy is to abolish capitalism and impose new race-based discriminatory policies that punish people who never owned slaves, so people who never were slaves can be unjustly compensated for past atrocities. It is a political movement whose purpose is to destroy the United States as a free, capitalist Republic. And it's disgraceful.
We should NOT teach that the remedy for past atrocities is to commit present atrocities. But that is exactly what Critical Race Theory indoctrination does. The ultimate goal of CRT is to punish people today for the sins of their ancestors in the distant past; and not just ancestors who lived in America back when slavery was legal. Proponents of CRT want to punish ALL white people no matter when they or their families came to America.
Critical Race Theory began as college level propaganda. But its tenets have permeated the K-12 public schools in a deliberate effort to raise a generation of misinformed Americans who hate their country. Division of society by race is the essential foundation of CRT. And the proposed so-called "remedy" is a socialist Utopia that favors the so-called "oppressed" over the so-called "oppressors." It demands "corrective" racism against white people in modern society. It labels all white people as evil oppressors and all black people as oppressed victims of a currently racist society.
Don't believe me? You think I'm making this up? I assure you I'm not. I have studied this issue extensively. Do you know who Ibram X. Kendi is? Ibram X. Kendi is a professor at Boston University who serves as the director of its Center for Antiracist Research. He is one of the leading proponents of CRT. Despite being a racist himself, he wrote a book titled “How to Be an Antiracist.” In that book he wrote, "the only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination." Kendi advocates racial discrimination TODAY - as long as that discrimination is only against white people.
Whatever happened to people should be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character? Well, those wise words of Martin Luther King are no longer the goal of today's so-called "civil rights leaders." Today's so-called "civil rights leaders" base EVERYTHING on skin color and nothing on content of character. And they're pushing that racial hate into the schools. And THAT is why Florida has banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida classrooms.
The lying Leftists - and that includes a frighteningly large percentage of public school teachers - will tell you the schools are NOT teaching Critical Race Theory. And if you look at the titles of their lesson plans, you won't find the words "Critical Race Theory." They're not so stupid as to make their subterfuge obvious. But the tenets of CRT are absolutely being taught to America's youth. It's just being called something else, so they can deny it's being taught. But a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. And CRT by any other name would still be just as false and just as destructive.
This is America. Activists have a First Amendment Right to lie. But no public money should ever be used to help promulgate their lies. And that is why the public schools must NOT be allowed to teach students a false history that instructs them to hate America's past and to hate America's present. Florida is right in outlawing it. And shame on those states that allow taxpayer money to teach our youth - youth of all colors - to hate "whitey." Because while "whitey" was certainly responsible for racism back in the day. Whitey isn't responsible for it now. To the extent that racism exists today, there is a group of people who ARE responsible. They're called Democrats. And they're disgusting. And dangerous.
Alec Baldwin Should Go to Prison
February 1, 2023 1:24pm
Yesterday, prosecutors in New Mexico formally charged Alec Baldwin with crimes related to the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" movie set. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, and Assistant Director David Halls was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon. Halls has already agreed to a plea of no contest.
In addition to starring in the film, Baldwin was a producer. That means he was ultimately responsible for everything that happened on set. And according to the statement of probable cause, he was grossly negligent in those duties. He allegedly skipped the required pre-filming firearms training session and was on his cell phone throughout the secondary on-set training session. Prosecutors say Baldwin created a "climate of recklessness as evidenced by the conduct of the cast and crew documented through statements and evidence.”
And while all that is bad enough, it was Alec Baldwin himself who pulled the trigger (Note: Baldwin says he never pulled the trigger) on the Colt .45 that fired the bullet that killed Hutchins. So in that capacity, he was responsible regardless of what his other responsibilities may have been. But wait! It gets worse. Based upon reviews of the script and interviews with witnesses, investigators concluded the scene didn't require the weapon to be fired. Yet Baldwin fired the pistol anyway... while it was aimed at Hutchins... and he killed her. Director Joel Souza was wounded as well.
But Baldwin has refused to take any responsibility for his actions whatsoever. He even told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he didn’t even fire the fatal round. He said, "I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is. But I know it’s not me.” No, Alec. It is you. You are absolutely responsible. You are not absolved from responsibility just because someone else handed you the loaded gun.
The irony here is that if Alec Baldwin had taken an NRA gun safety class instead of attacking the organization and the Second Amendment Rights it works to protect, he would have learned to ALWAYS check to see if a firearm is loaded no matter who handed it to him. When I am shopping at a gun store, I watch the clerk check to be certain the gun is unloaded before it is handed to me. AND THEN I POINT IT IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND CHECK IT MYSELF. Even though I just observed the professional verify the gun is not loaded, it is MY responsibility to know with absolute certainty the status of any gun in my possession. That is not a responsibility that can be pawned off onto someone else. My kids knew that when they were five years old. Why didn't Alec?
Alec Baldwin has spent decades attacking the NRA and the Constitution of the United States. If he wasn't such an anti-American hater, he might have been educated enough to not kill someone with a handgun. It is also pathetic that Alec Baldwin and his sycophantic supporters say he cannot be held responsible because a professional armorer handed him the gun on a movie set. That is complete nonsense. Laws do not magically disappear because someone is "on a movie set." It is ALWAYS the responsibility of the person holding a gun to check and know its status. And had Alec done so, he wouldn't have negligently killed someone.
That is why he is facing charges. Hopefully, the jury will see beyond his celebrity status and hold him accountable as any "commoner" would be. He is absolutely responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins and needs to be sent to prison. And he should join the NRA.
SHOT Show 2023
January 21, 2023 10:33am
Yesterday was the final day of the 2023 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. SHOT, which is an acronym for Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade is the largest gathering of the firearms industry and Second Amendment advocates.
At the SHOT Show, I recorded several interviews which aired on my radio program today. Interviews were with Dana Loesch (host of The Dana Show), Sebastian Gorka (host of America First with Dr. Sebastian Gorka), Mark Walters (host of Armed American Radio), Kevin Stitt (Governor of Oklahoma), and Chris Smith (owner of Gulf Coast Gun & Outdoors). All those interviews aired on my radio program today.
The interview with Governor Stitt was not planned in advance. I attended the SHOT Show's Governors Forum during which governors from Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Idaho, Mississippi, and Wyoming discussed firearms issues among other topics. It is not a coincidence that those governors were all Republicans. Very few Democrats support the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Well, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt told a great story about the time PETA launched an anti-meat campaign against him. So at the end of the forum, I asked him to re-tell it for you on my radio show.
Beyond those interviews, the SHOT Show consisted of walking the exhibit floors and talking to the exhibitors about their products which ranged from sunglasses to machine guns; from bullets to armored vehicles; and from law enforcement training to hunting safaris. The SHOT Show also hosted many educational seminars put on by the FBI, BATFE, and other government entities. I attended the town hall discussion with ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and about a half dozen others in ATF leadership. Although they took questions, the questions could not be asked directly. They had to be submitted in writing on index cards. Needless to say, mine was somehow never selected to be asked. Surprise, surprise, huh?
Indy Autonomous Challenge at CES 2023
January 14, 2023 10:35am
Last Saturday, I spent the afternoon at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Indy Autonomous Challenge at CES 2023. I had intended to discuss it on today's broadcast, but there wasn't enough time to fit it in. But the topic is interesting enough that I want to share it with you in some manner. So this blog post will have to suffice.
The Indy Autonomous Challenge is a global competition among nine fully autonomous Indy race cars (but lacking driver seats because there are no drivers). These vehicles are fully autonomous. No commands or data are sent to the cars during the races. Telemetry data is sent back to the team, but it can only be used for performance analysis and cannot be acted upon during the races.
The single elimination tournament raced two cars at a time doing 30 laps around the 1.5 mile oval track. The rules limited the speeds the cars could go in each lap, but each lap got progressively faster with the final lap reaching 170mph. The cars are capable of doing 192mph. All the cars were physically identical, so the competition was in the software.
The PoliMOVE team, a joint project of Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and the University of Alabama took home the trophy. During the final lap of the championship race, the car in second place spun out on the curve, hit the wall, and did not finish. But the PoliMove car already had a decent lead, so it is unlikely the results would have been different had the crash not occurred. Although I saw the spin out, I did not have my camera out for it. And I haven't seen any photos or videos of it on the internet yet.
After it crossed the finish line to win, the PoliMOVE car did not take a victory lap. Presumably, that is because the computer driving it has no emotions, so basking in the thrill of victory during a victory lap never crossed its "mind." Following the race, I did NOT interview the winning driver. But that was only because there was no driver! But I did, however, interview Professor Sergio Savaresi of Politecnico di Milano. He oversaw the development and implementation of the team's car. Unfortunately, our interview did not make it to air today. And next week's program will be about the SHOT Show, so it doesn't look like that interview will air at all.
Autonomous racing is unlikely to become a spectator sport, but the technologies it develops will certainly be used in other autonomous applications. Autonomous transportation is a huge part of this year's CES.
CES 2023
January 14, 2023 10:10am
Today's radio program was about CES 2023. This technology trade show in Las Vegas, which was formerly known as the "Consumer Electronics Show," changed to just "CES" in 2016. With more than 100,000 attendees and technology innovations displayed by nearly 3000 companies from around the globe, CES is the largest technology trade show in the world.
I was quite busy at CES covering various new technologies and product releases. Sony announced their new "Afeelo" electric car (a joint venture with Honda). The vehicle will feature more than three dozen sensors, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and lidar to permit autonomous operation. It will be manufactured in the United States and will be available for sale in 2026.
BMW hosted a massive party where they revealed "Dee," their big foray into an AI immersive electric transportation experience. "DEE" stands for Digital Emotional Experience." But Dee did something truly amazing; she changed colors! And I don't mean the paint reflected light differently at each angle. That's been around for a while. Dee actually changed colors via her "E-Ink" technology that literally changes the colors and patterns of the car itself. It was amazing. Dee was touted as one of the three most human cars ever (the other two were "Herbie the Love Bug" and "KITT" from David Hasselhoff's Knight Rider TV show). Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in the BMW reveal.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) announced and demonstrated their new Ryzen 9 7950X3D microprocessor. It boasts 16-Core, 32-Thread, 5.7GHz Boost, 144 MB Cache with 120W TOP. I don't really know what that means, but at least half of the 3000 techies at the reveal had orgasms over it, so it must be something spectacular.
I interviewed Paula Abdul about her new line of fashion audio glasses that pretty much do what Apple AirPods do. But hers are functioning eyeglasses instead of weird devices dangling from the ears. You can see her "Idol Eyes" glasses at www.PaulaAbdul.com/products/straight-ups-glasses.
Since Paula Abdul was a judge on American Idol from 2002 - 2009, when she and I finished discussing her glasses, I asked her to judge my singing. Yes, I know I can't sing. And although I did try the best I could, I was awful. In her critique, she said I was "awesome and bad at the same time." Oh, well. No Golden Ticket to Hollywood for me! Our interview, including my so-called "singing," aired on The Mike Bates Show today (segment 4).
At events like CES, it is not unusual to run into celebrities who are endorsing products. So as I was walking past the KULR booth, I saw motorsports legend Mario Andretti (champion of races in Formula 1, Indy, and NASCAR) signing autographs. So I stopped and asked if I could get a quick interview. He obliged. That brief interview aired today also (segment 4).
CES 2023 exhibited very interesting products such as healthcare wearables, gaming devices (and I don't mean slot machines), high tech agricultural tools, and more applications for Artificial Intelligence, among other technologies.
We don't yet know all the capabilities of AI. But it is clear that AI will change the world. It will be as transformative to our lives as the semiconductor was. AI and its applications in robotics will change literally everything. Transportation, healthcare, agriculture, entertainment, dining, manufacturing, marketing, exploration, politics, and military actions; AI will change it all.
Several countries had pavilions at CES with their entrepreneurs showing their products. I visited the pavilions for Italy, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, The Netherlands, and France. After the media luncheon with the French delegation, I interviewed two of their entrepreneurs. One had a high tech mosquito-killing device, and the other had an airbag belt intended for use by people at risk of hip fractures from falls. For most elderly people, a hip fracture will lead to death within a year. This belt detects a fall and deploys an airbag to protect the hip (or both hips depending on whether one or both are about to hit the ground).
Caterpillar (the company that makes industrial machinery like dozers, graders, and excavators) had a large exhibit featuring a 100 ton hauling truck that runs autonomously. I had the opportunity to sit at the controls of one of their excavators being displayed inside the convention center. I fired her up and manipulated her controls. And my action dug a giant hole. But I didn't damage the floor of the convention center because the hole I dug was 1678 miles from Las Vegas. Yep! From my seat in Las Vegas, I dug a hole in Peoria, Illinois. Quite amazing, huh? Details about that technology are included in my interview with the Caterpillar representative that aired today (segment 3).
Vinfast is an automotive company in Vietnam that is moving into the U.S. market with their line of electric vehicles. After attending the press conference by Vinfast's CEO, I went out to their test track and drove one of their cars. It seemed like a high quality automobile. And because it is priced below Teslas and the EVs of most domestic brands, it will likely become quite popular in the States.
Throughout the day, a robot served up coffee. And it wasn't just pouring a black cup of Joe. It was doing all kinds of mixing and pouring. If the employees at Starbucks keep going on strike, that robot may soon be serving at a cafe near you. And frankly, even without striking employees, the day is coming that robots will prepare our food. I should add that the coffee prepared by the robot was then delivered to the customer by another robot.
Another robotic exhibit featured an electric lawn service robot that mows the lawn, blows away leaves, and clears snow. I spent some time at the toilet too. But this toilet was on the exhibit floor. It is a smart toilet that takes a plethora of health readings based solely on contactless analysis of a person's urine stream. Also on exhibit at CES was a prototype of the 66,000 electric vehicles the U.S. Postal Service will soon be purchasing.
There wasn't time on today's show to air all the product interviews I did at CES. But those that did air can be heard on the podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230114
Buttigieg Should Be Booted Out
January 11, 2023 8:40pm
While Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg did not write the software running the FAA's antiquated NOTAM system, he is clearly incapable of getting it fixed.
Buttigieg is an incompetent Leftist fool who was hired by the equally incompetent fool in The White House for one reason and one reason only. He is a member of a celebrated protected class that Democrats value more than they value actual skills. Buttigieg's biggest "accomplishment" vis a vis air travel was that he proposed to his husband at the Chicago airport. Seriously. That's not a joke. He explains it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7u0_S7ZHqI
Where is Southwest Going?
January 2, 2023, 1:35pm
I just took this photo from inside the terminal at Pensacola International Airport. I think it captures the last couple of weeks at Southwest Airlines. With their system meltdown, they didn't seem to know if they were coming or going!
As for me today, I'm flying the friendly skies of United.