#bobgatty

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Dixie Dems: The Wacky GOP & Their Dictator

Despite the fact that Donald Trump is facing multiple court cases, including criminal charges resulting from the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, he still dominates his remaining GOP rivals and his support is showing no signs of weakening. On this episode of the Dixie Dems, Robert Thompson of Georgia, Arthur Hill of North Carolina, and I have a lot to say about the wacky GOP & their dictator, including Trump's stated plans to use the U.S. Justice Department to attack his enemies should he win the 2024 election, presumably against President Joe Biden. "It looks like a growing number of Americans are willing to place their personal beliefs above the Constitution of the United States and American democracy," says Hill, vice chair of the Brunswick County, NC, Democratic Party. "I think it's appalling and it makes me want to work even harder for Biden's election in November, as well as any other Democrat we can get our hands on." "Just to put my red MAGA hat on for a second, just to put myself in the shoes of the Trumpster people...they did not think it was normal that we had a Black president for eight years. They think it's not normal that we have a black woman vice president. They think we're persecuting Trump and everything. It's not normal, and I don't know how we come together somewhere in the middle of the ball field. It's scary as hell to try to live in the heads of these Republican supporters." Additional highlights as we look at the wacky GOP and their dictator:

The decline of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP sweepstakes.

What about Liz Cheney? What's up her sleeve?

Does Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) have a chance against Biden?

Biden's accomplishments and health compared to Trump's.

The influence of big money donors and their efforts to buy the election.

Will young voters sit out the election?

The Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) military confirmation fiasco.

Redistricting challenges in Georgia and North Carolina.

Trump's promise to end Biden's "war on American energy."

Trump's attack on Obamacare.

The demise of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

The George Santos ouster from the House.

Robert Thompson's "Dad's Against Deplorables" 2024 Calendar.

It's another hilarious episode with lot's of info, too. So check it out.

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Climate Change: The Sword of Damocles

Warning that the environmental consequences of climate change are already upon us, energy scientist Jack Kerfoot and Maya van Rossum, originator of the Green Amendment, are calling upon voters to elect state and federal legislators who recognize that challenge and are determined to take concrete action. Speaking on the Lean to the Left podcast with host journalist Bob Gatty, Kerfoot and van Rossum agreed that replacing reliance on fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas, with solar and wind energy sources is the key to reducing the environmental dangers that already are affecting many regions of the world. “The sword of Damocles over all of us is the environment, and if we don't take action collectively together, then we will severely face devastation of biblical proportion,” warns Kerfoot, who noted that in June temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, commonly in the 60s and 70s, reached 120F. “People, are experiencing the climate crisis and the science really is bearing out whether you're talking about heat waves, floods, drought, wildfires,” says van Rossum. “All of these different manifestations of the climate crisis can be tracked back to greenhouse gas emissions, and the transformation of what is happening within the Earth's atmosphere as the result of methane emissions carbon dioxide and more.” During the interview, van Rossum and Kerfoot discuss actions that are taking place in specific states in the U.S. aimed at increasing the use of renewable sources for the generation of electricity, and stress additional actions that are needed. Jack Kerfoot is a scientist, energy expert, and author of the book FUELING AMERICA, An Insider’s Journey, and articles for The Hill, one of the largest independent political news sites in the United States. Kerfoot began his career in the energy industry in 1976, when America was paralyzed by an oil embargo. He spent over 45 years traveling the world, working with scientists, bureaucrats, ministers, tycoons, sheiks, and heads of state on a diverse range of energy issues. He is the principal of JL Kerfoot Energy Services and blogs on his website, Our Energy Conundrum, at www.jackkerfoot.com. Lean to the Left is now in the midst of presenting analysis by Jack Kerfoot of how various regions around the country are doing in terms of moving away from reliance on fossil fuels for energy production. Two of those episodes covering four Northeastern and five Midwestern states are now streaming. With the new episode focused on the Southwest scheduled for August 28th and then the Northwest on September 18. Maya K. van Rossum is the Delaware Riverkeeper and leader for the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which works throughout the four states of the Delaware River watershed (NY, NJ, PA & DE) and at the national level using advocacy, science and litigation. During van Rossum's 30 years leading the Network, she and her organization were the lead plaintiffs in a successful case that had the PA Supreme Court breathe legal life into PA's long ignored environmental rights amendment. Now, van Rossum is advancing The Green Amendment movement, seeking to inspire and secure constitutional protection for environmental rights across the nation. van Rossum is author of a book titled “The Green Amendment, The People's Fight For a Clean, Safe & Healthy Environment”.

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Justice Counts-Amanda Hall-Prison Reform - 7:3:23, 1.44 PM

Amanda Hall is the Campaign Director at Dream.org JUSTICE. She has been directly impacted by the criminal legal system having been imprisoned following conviction on drug charges, and has a personal passion and drive to end mass incarceration and to create a better world in its place. That’s what we're talking with her about today on the Justice Counts podcast. Before joining Dream.org JUSTICE, Amanda was a Policy Strategist at the ACLU of Kentucky. Amanda was a leader of Kentucky Smart on Crime, a broad-based coalition working for common-sense justice reforms that enhance public safety, strengthen communities, and promote cost effective sentencing alternatives. Prior to policy work, Amanda served as program director of The Healing Place for Women in Louisville, KY. Amanda graduated from the University of Louisville with a Masters degree in Social Work. Here are some questions we discussed with Amanda: MARK: Does an incarcerated person automatically receive help with addiction and treatment, or does it depend on where you are or what you request it? BOB: What about gender differences and medical treatment, do women in prison receive the care that is necessary or appropriate for their gender? MARK: A prisoner is serving his or her time. What steps are taken to in prison and during the release process to help a prisoner re-integrate into society? BOB: Is that a universal process? Are prisoners everywhere offered the same assistance for reentry to society? If not, what are some of the differences? MARK: Are there any statistics about whether prisoner are more successful upon reentry if they have received assistance than those who have not? BOB: Are there differences in this reentry process for men and women? Are women treated differently in and out of prison? MARK: You have faced this process yourself, obviously. What are some of the injustices or discrimination you have faced when trying to reintegrate into society? BOB: What are the injustices faced by former inmates that you are most focused on and why? MARK: What can the average person, those who have not experienced prison or been involved with the system do to help alleviate discrimination? BOB: If you haven’t done so already, please check out Mark Bello’s ripped-from-the-headlines legal thrillers, all available online at Amazon and other major online booksellers. He has quite the hero in Attorney Zachary Blake, who fights for justice on all fronts. His books are Betrayal of Faith, Betrayal of Justice, Betrayal in Blue, Betrayal in Black, Betrayal High, Supreme Betrayal, Betrayal at the Border, You Have the Right to Remain Silent and his latest, and his latest, “The Final Steps – A Harbor Springs Cozy Legal Mystery. Also, he’s written a wonderful children’s book about bullying, “Happy Jack, Sad Jack.” For more info, just check markmbello.com. Until next time, this is Bob Gatty for Mark Bello signing off from Justice Counts.

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Dixie Dems -- Oh, Those Crazy Republicans

We’re back with another episode of Dixie Dems, the podcast from Lean to the Left that takes an irreverent look at politics in the south, as well as nationwide. We’ll talk about candidates, Trump’s legal troubles, Trump pardon talk, the big Supreme Court gerrymandering decision, and much more. --- Hey guys, welcome to the Lean to the Left podcast and the June 2023 episode of the Dixie Dems with my partners, Arthur Hill, from North Carolina, and Robert Thompson, from Georgia. Arthur is first vice chair of the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Democratic party. Robert Thompson is based in Atlanta and founded Peach News Now and its opinion podcast, Got Damn Liberals. Me…I’m based in South Carolina, the state where two Republican candidates are taking on Donald Trump in the Republican presidential sweepstakes. They, of course, are former SC governor Nikki Haley, former UN ambassador for Trump, and Sen. Tim Scott, the only African American GOP US Senator. Oh, it’s also the state where Sen. Lindsey Graham, still sucking up to Trump despite his indictment for violating the espionage act in that classified records case, said of Trump: At least he isn’t a spy. Good grief. So, welcome guys… Arthur…tell us about what’s going on in North Carolina? Big state supreme court decision on gerrymandering, right? How about you, Robert. Looks like Trump’s next legal challenge could come from Georgia, right? What’s happening in South Carolina? With two GOP presidential candidates running against Trump, a big question is what would they do if elected about pardoning Donald Trump for his crimes? Well, Nikki Haley says she’d be “inclined” to pardon him even though his actions inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol put first responders in danger. She dragged in the plea deal between the Justice Department and Hunter Biden, saying there’s a double standard…one for Republicans like Trump and another for Democrats like Biden. Also, on Twitter, Haley accused Barack Obama of dividing America “by race and gender” because he took issue with her claim that America is not racist. Excuse me…but it was her old boss, Trump, who set out to divide America that way and was spectacularly successful. Haley should just shut up. By the way, while some support Haley for taking down the Confederate flag at the State House when she was governor, the Washington Post reported that she did so only after the massacre at a church in Charleston, where worshipers were murdered by a gunman, forced her hand. She previously had said the flag was “about heritage.” Meanwhile, when asked what he would do about a Trump pardon, Sen. Tim Scott avoided the question, but said he would “clean out” the Department of Justice. Where was he when Trump was using DOJ as his own personal police force? Please. What do you guys think about how the GOP candidates are twisting themselves into knots over a potential Trump pardon? Scott visited Myrtle Beach the other day trying to drum up support. He had a pretty good crowd, according to reports, but the problem was that while attendees said they liked him well enough, they still support Trump but would like to see Scott as his vice president. That’s probably not what Scott wanted to hear, unless that’s his angle, anyway. Could be Haley’s angle, too, for that matter. As for Trump, he’s scheduled to make his first visit to South Carolina since being indicted twice – on Saturday, July 1, at the city of Pickens, ahead of their Independence Day celebration. Can’t wait for that one. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this month unexpectedly upheld a prohibition against racial gerrymandering in an Alabama case, has agreed to consider a lower court decision that struck down a congressional district as an illegal racial gerrymander. The lower court held that the congressional district – which includes Charleston – “constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because race was the predominant factor in the adoption of the” plan. South Carolina Republicans asked the Supreme Court to take up the case and arguing that the Republican-led legislature took politics into consideration when drawing the map, not race. Given the Alabama decision, it will be especially interesting to see what the conservative-dominated Supreme Court will do. The results likely will have broad ramifications nationally. There was another development here in South Carolina…the city of Conway, not far from Myrtle Beach, passed a resolution declaring June to be Pride Month only to be met with a bunch of protesters, including pastors and evangelical Christians. But to their credit, Conway’s mayor and city council stuck by their resolution, which said LGBTQ residents “deserve to feel safe and respected in their homes, neighborhoods, schools and workplaces.” Please tell me why that would be objectionable?

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DW Duke-Overcoming Confrontation & Conflict

DW Duke is a California attorney and an author of six published books with three more books currently in production. His work has focused on human rights and empathy as a tool to overcome confrontation and conflict in the world. DW currently is creating a series of biographical novels and screenplays about social justice issues. One of his books, Racism Awareness, scheduled to be released in March of 2023, addresses root causes of racism and presents effective ways to identify and eradicate it. Another, ”Not Without a Fight,” is a biographical novel based on the true story of a Jewish boy who becomes a Resistance Fighter in World War II in Poland. The book’s message is we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. That’s timely. It’s a pleasure for me and Mark Bello, co-host of the Justice Counts podcast, to welcome you, DW, to our podcast. Mark– Welcome to the podcast. “Not Without A Fight” is your first book based upon a true story set during the Holocaust era. As most of our listeners know, I’m a Jewish Boy and I’ve also written a Holocaust novella, based on a true story. But, talk to us about your book, why you wrote it, and what message you would like readers to walk away with. Bob – Your next book, The Duke Legacy, also is based on a true story, takes place during the civil war era, and tells the story of a young man growing up in the south, and is deeply troubled by slavery. It isn’t lost on me that the kid’s last name is Duke—Is this book about your own family and why did you write it? Bob – Our country is struggling with the problems of discrimination and racism. Is that why you wrote “Racism Awareness?” Talk to us about that. Mark: There is a rise in anti-Semitic activities and attitudes in America today. Jew hatred is on the rise. Do you see many parallels between what’s going on in America today and the rise of Nazism in Germany in the 1930s? Bob – You have said that empathy is a tool in overcoming stereotypes and discrimination. I would agree with that, but it sounds rather simplistic. Can you elaborate for us? What can the average citizen do to improve our interreligious or interracial discourse? Mark – I want to go back to “Not Without a Fight” for a moment. The boy who is the focus of the book survives the war. Did he continue his activism? What was his life like after the war? Bob – Aside from our racial and religious differences, we have a serious political divide in America today. What can be we do to resolve, or at least ease, political polarization in the U.S.? Mark – Bob tells me that there may be a movie in the works based on “Not Without a Fight.” That’s exciting. What is the status of this project and when might we be able to see the movie in theatres or on television? Bob -- You have another biographical novel currently in production called “Because I’m Black.” What is that book about? Mark: Your books are based on rather terrible periods in history. In the first two books, your two protagonists, Thomas Biebers and Washington Duke, hate what’s going on in their respective countries during their lifetimes. What would they think of modern day Germany and America? Would they be pleased or disappointed with our progress? Bob – Your work on discrimination and religious hatred is note-worthy and your books take a fascinating look at troubling times. Where can people find these important books? Mark: In the introduction, Bob mentioned that “Not Without a Fight” core message is that we shouldn’t be erasing history, we should be learning from it. What do you think of the current discussion in America about sugar-coating history books and book-banning? Mark: Wow. DW? You are a man after my own heart. We are better than this. We do not need to be an “us” vs. “them” society. As Rodney King said all those years ago: “Can’t we all get along?” Continued success with your career and lots of luck with “Because I’m Black.”

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Robert Nordlander-Sharing Secrets of the IRS - 2:26:23, 1.11 PM

Using a gun and handcuffs, Robert Nordlander chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world for the Internal Revenue Service. So considering that it’s tax time now, he’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast and we’re going to talk about taxes, audits, avoiding trouble with the IRS, and a lot more. Stay with us. As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Robert Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent who spent over 20 years chasing tax evaders and money launderers across the globe. His investigations ranged from simple embezzlement to cryptocurrency to using foreign trusts to hide income. He has traveled to various countries on behalf of the United States training other countries' federal investigators. Nordlander’s specialty is following the money, whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, stealing inheritances, or in criminal court. He also helps defense attorneys in criminal tax investigations, and is an expert in how to deal with the IRS with unpaid taxes. He is an Amazon best-selling author, having written two books. (1) Criminal Tax Secrets: What Every Defense Attorney Should Know and (2) Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse. Nordlander is a licensed CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also hosts two podcasts -- Fraud Fighter Podcast (which is about the forensic accounting and anti-fraud/anti-money laundering industry) and Criminal Tax Files (which is about criminal tax investigations).

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Lean to the Left-Episode 549-Robert Nordlander-Sharing Secrets of the IRS - 2:24:23, 4.45 PM

Using a gun and handcuffs, Robert Nordlander chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world for the Internal Revenue Service. So considering that it’s tax time now, he’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast, where we talk about taxes, audits, avoiding trouble with the IRS, and a lot more. As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent who spent over 20 years chasing tax evaders and money launderers across the globe. His investigations ranged from simple embezzlement to cryptocurrency to using foreign trusts to hide income. He has traveled to various countries on behalf of the United States training other countries' federal investigators. Nordlander’s specialty is following the money, whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, stealing inheritances, or in criminal court. He also helps defense attorneys in criminal tax investigations, and is an expert in how to deal with the IRS with unpaid taxes. He is an Amazon best-selling author, having written two books, "Criminal Tax Secrets: What Every Defense Attorney Should Know" and "Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse." Nordlander is a licensed CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also hosts two podcasts -- Fraud Fighter Podcast (which is about the forensic accounting and anti-fraud/anti-money laundering industry) and Criminal Tax Files (which is about criminal tax investigations). "We have a system where individuals or corporations self-assess their tax liability and then, report that information to the IRS," he points out. "The best way to get outta stay out of civil trouble is just by filing whatever's truth and honest and file it on time and accurately."

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Robert Nordlander_ Chasing Tax Cheats

Using a gun and handcuffs, Robert Nordlander chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world for the Internal Revenue Service. So considering that it’s tax time now, he’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast, where we talk about taxes, audits, avoiding trouble with the IRS, and a lot more. As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent who spent over 20 years chasing tax evaders and money launderers across the globe. His investigations ranged from simple embezzlement to cryptocurrency to using foreign trusts to hide income. He has traveled to various countries on behalf of the United States training other countries' federal investigators. Nordlander’s specialty is following the money, whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, stealing inheritances, or in criminal court. He also helps defense attorneys in criminal tax investigations, and is an expert in how to deal with the IRS with unpaid taxes. He is an Amazon best-selling author, having written two books, "Criminal Tax Secrets: What Every Defense Attorney Should Know" and "Unpaid Payroll Taxes: A Time Bomb You Can Defuse." Nordlander is a licensed CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. He also hosts two podcasts -- Fraud Fighter Podcast (which is about the forensic accounting and anti-fraud/anti-money laundering industry) and Criminal Tax Files (which is about criminal tax investigations). "We have a system where individuals or corporations self-assess their tax liability and then, report that information to the IRS," he points out.