TAT readers,
First and foremost, I wish to thank all of you for your patience during my last week or so of inactivity. You also deserve an explanation. The truth is simple, I simply a bit burned out and it took a toll. Now I’m back and ready for the sprint to the midterms by continuing to write truth. Frankly, I believe that digging for and explaining truth about my areas of expertise to my fellow citizens is one of the ways that I can still best contribute to our national security, my long-time profession. I will continue to highlight what I believe to be the most severe threats to our republic. Currently, the administration, their subservient Republican-controlled congress and their base, are threats that supersede all others. Anyone who has read my work for a little while well knows the reasons why. For newcomers, my archives are free to read and do as you please with them. Hopefully sharing them is one of your options.
I am certain that the majority of readers don’t feel much different than I do, regarding burnout. From before the 2016 election, our form of government and our constitution it’s based upon, have been under sustained aggressive assault by a treasonous political movement called MAGA, now synonymous with today’s GOP. In 27 days we have the opportunity to put an end to this phase of their assaults by flipping the House of Representatives and with a little luck and hard work, the Senate too. But let me be clear, should we succeed, this is only step one of relieving the pain.
Afterwards, we need elected officials willing to pursue the following;
Accountability for, rather than revenge on those complicit in enabling this administration and GOP via illegal actions. There is no room for Chief Justice John Roberts’ “immunity” for the types of traitors and thieves supporting or empowering either.
Overturning Citizens United
Significantly reducing the impact of foreign and domestic influence operations on our elections
These topics will continue to reoccur in my writing at a later time but for today, I’m on fire to get back in the game and support a full-court-press to put an end to this Republican-led congress. As a Texan, I am used to “full-contact” political fights and this will guide my perspective for the next four weeks. Take off the gloves America, because as we have already seen, the White House and the congress will do and say anything to get their way whether legal or not. The political politeness I was raised with, doesn’t apply in this election. Without a hint of hyperbole, this fight is as they say, “for all the marbles.”
Today’s GOP is terrified and the signs are everywhere. These next four weeks are precisely the time to “kick them when they’re down.” Not physically of course, but they are intensely vulnerable from the Iran war, the economy, their corruption and a thousand other issues. Now isn’t the time to ease up on their well-deserved political beatdown. This particular beatdown has been coming since the late 1970s when the now infamous Newt Gingrich held power on the floors of congress and Republican White Houses. In the Trump and MAGA era, Gingrich’s scorched earth policy of opposing the other side of the aisle regardless of what they proposed, has grown into a Godzilla-like monster, apparently without restraints.
That same monster now condones breaking the law, ignoring our constitution and as we’ve seen with decades of virulent far-right violent extremism, including GOP sanctioned ICE violence murdering US citizens and skyrocketing deaths in detention, the GOP expresses themselves with violence nearly as much as with propaganda. Neither are American values. Now, only because of the midterms, there have been announcements by the administration that some of ICE and other Executive Branch law enforcement tactics are to be halted or at least for the moment. As my UK friends would say, “bollocks” a rude UK saying roughly synonymous to BS.
The point being, that these BS claims to be reining in ICE are nonsense, insincerely meant to assuage some of the grievances the American people have with all aspects of the current regime. Like Trump’s threat to launch a massive attack on Iran “after the midterms” those commitments are merely pauses to avoid losing any more ground in his deeply depressed polling numbers.
So if you are wondering why I am sharing Trump’s polling information even though he is not on the ballot, it’s simply because Republicans in the 39 states where he is tanking, are trying to distance themselves from him, even opting to not have him campaign for them or with them. Don’t let them. Every single one of them are complicit. I haven’t an ounce of sympathy for any of these obsequious cowards. To a person, they have all enabled the treason, criminality and attempted obliteration of our constitutional republic. GOP candidates whose jobs are threatened have reduced or eliminated his name presence on their campaign websites, offered some token resistance on issues like the illegal war with Iran and even flatly told him “no,” don’t come to my district, and some had to say no, more than once.
Most Republicans breaking with or at least distancing themselves from Trump are doing so over the Iran war, but they are not all willing to sign legislation to do so. This is a relatively safe issue for them since the war is unpopular with roughly 60% of Americans, including Republicans. This position will surely not go over well with the White House, but it just may save them a few votes in their districts. Like the President, these legislators have given us little to no reason to believe anything they say. It’s a pretty sure bet that if they survive November 3rd, they will go back to enabling everything happening in the White House.
In Ohio where I was raised, Senator John Husted is one of these Republicans trying to walk the line trying not to upset Trump but still retain his seat in the Senate. Another right-wing extremist Buckeye, Warren Davidson, is trying the same. In Florida, Congressman Byron Donalds is running away from Trump like he’s an Olympic sprinter, removing nearly every single reference from his website. In Missouri where I was born and my mother’s family hails from, there is consistent and similar messaging avoiding associations with Trump and the GOP agenda. It’s no wonder they are running away from their Project 2025 agenda. Missouri Republicans have seen some major setbacks over the past couple of months, such as the Supreme Court denying their redistricting plan and last week’s humiliating scene caused by a bumbling, poorly informed Senator Eric Schmitt during the Jack Smith hearing.
"But maybe the clearest evidence can be found on your television and social media feeds. Republicans are defending their two-thirds majority in the Missouri House this fall, and a series of new ads supporting GOP candidates in competitive districts has settled on a remarkably consistent message: These Republicans aren’t afraid to stand up to Republicans." - Some Missouri Republicans are stressing independence from GOP in 2026 campaign ads - Missouri Independent - Jason Hancock - October 6th, 2026
Here in Texas, there is outright panic in the Republican camp. Congressmen, state legislators, administrative candidates and even Governor “Hot Wheels” Abbott are now backtracking as well, especially over the issue of having data centers shoved down the throats of Texans, much like the mid-decade redistricting. The redistricting fiasco was unpopular with Republican Texans too. Many of those to be impacted by surprise data centers come from the TX GOP’s base, rural voters who have long been reliable supporters. Now they are defecting and demanding answers about the data centers and even “affordability” issues, something Hot Wheels and the Texas Taliban, a.k.a. Republican Party of Texas haven’t given a damn about for decades. Our property taxes are near national high and Hot Wheel’s answer is to stop property taxes that fund our schools. The TX GOP has been defunding and undermining our public schools for a couple of decades. Texas is ranked in the bottom ten nationally, for public education.
And then there’s the performative Republican apologies and claims to have long been against the Trump agenda. Just in the past couple of days, Associate Justice Samuel Alito gave a rare interview, of course on FOX News to promote his book, attempting to recover some of his judicial dignity. No one is buying it. He even complained about some of the hostile rhetoric from the White House, Congressmen, the media and individual citizens. Then there’s retiring Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina explaining his regrets about supporting RFK Jr. and Pete Hegseth. Of course he too is on a book tour and like the end of the first Trump administration, one of the first to embark on an apology tour. These guys forget that we watched them perform their scurrilous deeds, often in public hearings and talk shows on the campaign trail etc.
This election, 71 House Representatives and Senators have opted to not run for reelection, 11 from the Senate and 60 from the House of Representatives. In both cases, Republicans are leaving at nearly double the pace of Democrats. This even exceeds the number of 65 in 1992 after Bill Clinton was elected and after 12 years of Republican rule by Reagan and H.W. Bush. Twelve years that ran concurrently with Newt Gingrich’s tenure at the right hand of both, left America disillusioned with Republican management of our economy and the same fledgling far-right Christian Nationalism, preferential treatment of the rich and the dramatic cuts to the national social safety net in order to put money into defense. These are very clearly recurring cycles in US politics in my lifetime.
As I try to wrap up this first essay back at my desk, I wish to remind everyone that I am not merely recounting what many of us read, listen or watch but am making a specific point. In sports we often talk about “shifting momentum,” which also applies also to politics. What I am suggesting is that the midterms may look promising but especially this midterm, we must remain assertive and energized in tying Republican candidates to Trump’s abuse. We cannot and must not take prevailing polls for granted. Our efforts to pry American-styled democracy back from the hands of autocrats, must be a sprint to the finish line. The adminstration and the GOP have already put their fingers on the scale of the midterms and again, enjoy Russian support.
Radical, mid-decade gerrymandering is just one of the ways they have already acted. As a Texan I’m all too familiar with the way state legislatures have passed legislation to legally “rig” elections. Gerrymandering, voter suppression laws, removal of the majority of ballot boxes in “blue” districts etc. are just some of the ways the GOP has already rigged our midterms. This has been going on for years and just last year, Republicans passed 32 voter suppression and similar laws in 17 almost entirely red-states. Winning this election with enough of a majority to make changes in the next congress will be daunting. Cheerleading “go blue” isn’t enough and many of us resisting don’t claim themselves as Democrats. Please remember that resistance is for America, not just the Democratic Party, wherever they are. Resistance is a people’s movement of true patriots.
Most family, friends and colleagues know me to typically be patient and like my father, someone who gives most the benefit of doubt. Elected Republicans in the Trump era, have exhausted my patience and most likely, yours as well. Not one single elected republican from either my local area all the way to the White House, are any longer deserving of our patience. What they are deserving of after enabling all that has been imposed onto us, is our scorn and the political attacks tying them to Trump. This ensures that they can never escape their connection to Trump, his favorite broligarchs and their combined decimation of our national security, all around the globe.
I will sign off by saying that I am deeply grateful for your patience while that I fought off burnout. I am back and ready to continue writing about our most dangerous national security threats. Until after the midterms and we ensure that the Republicans accept the results, taking down the republican-led congress and their state level cohorts, is threat number one.
My very best to all,
Paul