Pete Souza: Sometimes you gotta have fun. For the past three weeks, there have been four snowmen on display in the Rose Garden (see photo in earlier post). We’ve been joking that we should move the snowmen a few feet closer to the Oval Office every day to see if anyone noticed. Then we realized the snowmen were too heavy to easily lift. But finally this morning before the President came to the office, some helpful staff-I won’t say who-moved all the snowmen so each one was peeking through a different window into the Oval. This photo was taken this afternoon as the President signed end-of-the-year bills.
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Pete Souza: Another snowman from yesterday. Yes he enjoyed the prank. See previous post for the backstory
Pete Souza: President Obama surveys the landscape just off the tarmac at Lajes Air Base, Azores, during a refueling stop en route from Germany to Peru. My grandparents are from the Azores, a group of nine Portuguese islands, in the Atlantic. Political Director David Simas and Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz also trace their roots to the Azores
42 years ago, TODAY, I stood in a windowless room, in a building at Broad and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, as a United States Marine CORPS Recruit, raised my right hand and pledged an oath “To support and defend the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” You, dear trump voter are the latter…
History will reflect 151 years and 6 months, a mere 55,336 days, after the south was defeated in the Civil War, faux patriots across the land entered voting booths and surrendered America to the confederacy. This was done knowingly. The majority of white voters, male and female, prioritized privilege over continuing to strive to form “A More Perfect Union.”
Save the faux outrage for being called out. This was NOT the dog-whistle campaign of Lee Atwater and the boys, that propelled Reagan to the Presidency. No, the scab was ripped off the festering sore in this nation, gasoline was poured and trump struck the match, running a full on, in your face, kkk-endorsed, campaign of white supremacy. You can’t say that you didn’t know…
When he demonized Mexicans, you were okay with that…
And Muslims; and African Americans; and POW’s – still trying to wrap my mind around this one; and Women; and the Disabled; and the Military – this from someone that actively avoided military service. He demonized the whole Islamic Faith; and the Seventh Day Adventist faith; and Asians… Did I miss anybody? YOU.WERE.OKAY.WITH.ALL.OF.THIS.
Don’t quote for me the percentage of African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, etc. that voted for trump – there have always been self-loathing, “I’m not like them,” saboteurs in our midst. One thing that all marginalized people know: “All of my skin/interest folk, ain’t my kin folk.”
I intentionally didn’t mention our pathetic 4th Estate. Murrow, Cronkite, Bradley are all spinning like tops in their graves.
Having surrendered to the confederacy, you, my Stars and Stripes waving, red, white, and blue bunting decorating, patriotic t-shirt wearing, faux patriotic friend have forfeited two privileges that you hold dear; the privilege of declaring yourself a “real American” and that of proudly flying Old Glory.
Although the United States of America will continue to be the Land of the Free for another 68 days, after that, things change. You voted in the confederacy, so OWN IT! Retire the Stars and Stripes, and proudly hoist the Stars and Bars. We know who you are; you need no longer to hide behind the faux patriotism of old. The Stars and Bars are an adequate temporary place holder for your soon-to-be-designed national ensign.
Funny thing happened while you were drunk on the euphoria of establishing the new Confederate States of America: putin and the boys confirmed that they have been in engaged with the trump campaign from the beginning. trump openly courted the russians, called on them to hack the opposition, had russophiles embedded in his campaign; BUT.YOU.WERE.OKAY.WITH.ALL.OF.THAT.
Looks like trump may very well be the Manchurian candidate.
You were warned. You were warned by the derided liberals. You were warned by the Germans. You were warned by the Jews. YOU.WERE.WARNED.
At noon, January 20, 2025 instead of ushering in the new Confederate States of America, we may very well see the dawn of the Confederate States of Russia.
42 years ago, today, I raised my right hand and pledge an oath “To support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America…” That oath has no expiration date. I.WILL.CONTINUE.TO.SUPPORT. I.WILL.CONTINUE.TO.DEFEND. I.WILL.CONTINUE.TO.FIGHT.
Alycée Nelson Ruley
CWO-02, USMC(Ret)
November 13, 2025