MORT'S MUSINGS

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #11 Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump’s Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say Aren’t These People Supposed to Know Better? How are people supposed to respect the rule of law, when federal officials can act ‘secretly’ to curtail investigations? -kmortland “The former deputy attorney general maneuvered to keep investigators from completing an inquiry into whether the president’s personal and financial links to Russia posed a national security threat.” “But law enforcement officials never fully investigated Mr. Trump’s own relationship with Russia, even though some career F.B.I. counterintelligence investigators thought his ties posed such a national security threat that they took the extraordinary step of opening an inquiry into them. Within days, the former deputy attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein curtailed the investigation without telling the bureau, all but ensuring it would go nowhere.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trum

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #64 Seattle Times Chastises Denny Heck for his Attack on Wyman https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/kim-wyman-is-right-make-elections-leader-nonpartisan/ On Saturday, I called out Denny Heck for his unwarranted attack on Secretary of State Kim Wyman. It appears the Seattle Times thought the same. “U.S. Rep. Denny Heck was off-base when he suggested Secretary of State Kim Wyman was among officials “complicit” in President Donald Trump’s war on mail voting at a Seattle campaign event Aug. 17. Although Wyman is a Republican, she has spoken up repeatedly — and rightly — to defend the trustworthy process against Trump’s slander.” Until now, I was prepared to vote for Denny Heck for Lt. Governor. But not any more. That brazen attack killed any interest I may have had to support him. I will be voting for his opponent. ------------ Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #63 None of the corporations in which the state invests have contributed to Davidson’s campaign. 8.30.20 On his campaign website, challenger Mike Pellicciotti implies State Treasurer Duane Davidson accepts campaign contributions from corporations in which the state invests. “...will stop the practice of state treasurers investing your tax dollars in the same corporations that fund their political campaigns.” http://www.electmikep.com/about-mike First of all, the State Treasurer does not decide in which companies or corporations WA State invests. If Pellicciotti knew anything at all about the job he is seeking, he would know that. Perhaps he does, and he just doesn’t care if he lies. Secondly, a review of the 2020 PDC filings, regarding the state’s top thirteen major corporate investments does not support this assertion. None of the thirteen major corporations in which the state invests has contributed to Davidson’s campaign. T

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #62 Denny Heck Supports Tarleton by Attacking Wyman https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/08/17/44303261/as-trump-attempts-to-steal-the-election-washington-democrats-call-for-action 8.29.20 The unqualified Democratic candidate for Secretary of State is at it again, attacking the incumbent. That’s what you do, when you have nothing else going for you. This time Gael Tarleton made generic accusations at a press conference, "Republican leaders have been silent while these attacks on our democracy accelerated." Since Wyman has appeared on media 300 times since February, it’s clear that this is pure bunk. Tarleton recruited the support of Lt. Gov. Candidate Denny Heck, who went on to name the elephant in the room when he called "office-holders who are not standing up and speaking out...accomplices in this crime." When someone in the crowd asked if he was talking about Secretary Wyman, he said, "Has she spoken

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #61 WA Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Q13 Fox: The Divide https://www.q13fox.com/the-divide-with-brandi-kruse/the-divide-post-office-politics Time stamp 13:40 8.28.20 This series is in response to WA State Democratic Party Chairperson’s claiming Sec. of State Kim Wyman has not been “championing vote by mail across the country” . Host Brandi Kruse: "What do you do when the people of your own party try to undermining the system that you’re in charge of? We’ve talked about the fact that Pres. Trump talked about delaying the November election. Lauren Culp, current Republican candidate for governor, sent out a tweet, suggesting mail-in-voting isn’t effective." Sec. of State Kim Wyman: “My job is elections. So, if a candidate for governor or the president of the United States or the US Attorney General wants to politicize administrative processes that they have never conducted, they know very little about; they have not taken

Could This Be the Beginning of a Trend? #26 Yet another Trump Administration official comes forward to share stories of mismanagement. Elizabeth Neumann Asst. Sec. for Counter Terrorism and Threat Prevention 8.27.20 The video, the latest in a series of administration figures speaking out against the president, was posted Wednesday by Republican Voters Against Trump, founded by neoconservative and Trump antagonist Bill Kristol. Neumann describes herself as a devout Christian who decided to back Trump in 2016 because of “the pro-life issue.” But she now says that Trump has “absolutely failed” and views him as a danger to American lives: “We are less safe today because of his leadership. We will continue to be less safe as long as he is in control,” she says, adding: “I’ll be voting for Joe Biden.” Some of Neumann’s statement: "And over the period of 2017 to 2018, we started to see the rise of the white-supremacist agenda. I, and my leadership at the Department of Homeland

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #10 ARE THE ATTACKS ON USPS AN ATTACK ON THE CONSTITUTION? Aren’t These People Supposed to Know Better? 8.26.20 -The US Postal Service was created by an enabling act in the US Constitution. (Article I, Section 8, Clause 7). -Under the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution, election protocols are the responsibility of the States, subject to the US Constitution. (The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.) It is, therefore, my opinion that the recent actions taken by Pres. Trump’s recently appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy constitute a double assault on the US Constitution. Furthermore, the timing and targeting of mail sorting and delivery capabilities are clearly intended to disrupt the upcoming General Election and set the scene for a refusal by Pres. Trump to honor the results of the election, should he be defeated.

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #9 ATTACK ON USPS IMPACTS UPCOMING ELECTION? Aren’t These People Supposed to Know Better? How these actions will impact the General Election is a question every voter should be asking. Are Pres. Trump and Louis DeJoy setting the scene for refusing to acknowledge a Trump defeat at the polls? -kmortland 8.25.20 Sorting Equipment Removed, Absentee Ballot Signatures Barred: Here Are All The Postal Service Changes Raising Alarm Alison Durkee Forbes Staff https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2020/08/17/sorting-equipment-removed-changes-to-election-mail-all-the-postal-service-usps-changes-raising-alarm-louis-dejoy/#576f0ad106f5 KEY FACTS DeJoy, a prolific GOP fundraiser and Trump donor who was appointed postmaster general in May, announced sweeping organizational changes in mid-July, which included cuts to overtime that workers say result in mail carriers not always being able to deliver or sort every piece of mail each day. •DeJoy also imp

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #60 Examples of Sec. of State Wyman’s Media Appearances #3 - NBC - Coronavirus 'worst-case scenario': Could the presidential vote be done by mail? 3/26/2020 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/coronavirus-worst-case-scenario-could-presidential-vote-be-done-mail-n1168151 8.24.20 This series is in response to WA State Democratic Party Chairperson’s claiming Sec. of State Kim Wyman has not been “championing vote by mail across the country” . •Wyman said she's been inundated with calls from colleagues in other states seeking advice. •"The first thing I say is people need to understand the context," she said. "I am probably the biggest champion of vote by mail in the country, but it took us five years to move from polling places to vote-by-mail." •Every state that isn't used to voting primarily by mail will have to prepare for a huge increase in volume. •Voters need to be told not only how to v

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #59 Examples of Sec. of State Wyman’s Media Appearances #2 Town Hall Project Nathan Williams 6.18.20 https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=551987719021187&ref=watch_permalink 8.23.20 This series is in response to WA State Democratic Party Chairperson’s claiming Sec. of State Kim Wyman has not been “championing vote by mail across the country” . Sec. of State Kim Wyman was one of four participants answering viewer questions on an online Town Hall Meeting about the problems faced by voters and elections officials in the upcoming November 3rd General Election. Worth noting she was included because of her depth of knowledge and training in election management. Among many things, Wyman discussed: •Problems with such a rapid ramp up of capacity, the incumbent accessibility and security issues •Real problems presented by Covid-19 and a labor intensive ballot processing protocol •Need for additional resources from Congress to boost

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #58 Examples of Sec. of State Wyman’s Media Appearances #1 8.21.20 Despite attacks by her Democractic opponent & the WA State Democratic Party Chairperson, claiming Sec. of State Kim Wyman has not been “championing vote by mail across the country” and is therefore “complicit” in the attacks on our voting system, Wyman has been featured over 300 times in media over the past six months alone. Here’s just one example: Time Magazine - June 17, 2020 'We’re Not Going to Know Who the President Is Until Well Into November.' These Are the Scenarios Worrying Election Officials https://time.com/5855038/coronavirus-voting-election/ Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman is worried. In her state, counting ballots typically entails election officials working shoulder to shoulder, sometimes hundreds to a room. It’s a scene that’s nearly unimaginable in the era of coronavirus. So Washington is working on safety measures, from expanding t

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #57 Strategies of the Unqualified Candidates Strategy #1: Constantly attack the incumbent, even if the attacks are not true. The best way is to start off with something that is marginally true; then make your assertion, hoping the partial truth will obscure the lie. For example: “The GOP has launched an assault on voting rights in Washington and across the country,” said Rep. Tarleton (D-Seattle). “Kim Wyman, our state’s top Republican, can’t just sit on the sidelines while her party launches an un-democratic and un-American attempt to steal the election.” -Gael Tarleton, Aug. 10, 2020 Sadly, there is some truth to the first sentence. While voting rights attacks are not being made in WA State, the USPS is being affected by national efforts to slow down the mail. However, the second sentence is patently untrue. Sec. of State Kim Wyman has been featured over 300 times in media over the past six months alone about Washington

Could This Be the Beginning of a Trend? #25 Yet another Trump Administration official comes forward to share stories of mismanagement. Miles Taylor - Homeland Security 2017-2019 8.19.20 Some of Taylor’s comments are: He (Trump) has “governed by whim, political calculation and self-interest” He has “tried to turn DHS, the nation’s largest law enforcement agency, into a tool used for his political benefit.” He has “insisted on a near-total focus on issues that he said were central to his reelection” He has “told us to close the California-Mexico border during a March 28, 2019, Oval Office meeting — it would be better for him politically” His “decision-making process was itself broken”: “Trump would abruptly endorse policy proposals with little or no consideration, by him or his advisers” “when then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced, at the White House’s urging, a “zero tolerance” policy to prosecute anyone who crossed the border illegally. The agencies inv

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #8 LOGIC FALLACIES STRIKE AGAIN! Isn’t This Person Supposed to Know Better? Asked to defend bogus fraud claims, Meadows flunks Logic 101. "There's no evidence of widespread voter fraud," Tapper said. "There's no evidence that there's not, either," Meadows responded. Um, no. Aug. 17, 2020, 6:20 AM PDT By Steve Benen https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/asked-defend-bogus-fraud-claims-meadows-flunks-logic-101-n1236914?fbclid=IwAR22dk7Bd9c6_c40ru0dZqUQK4iyGhoJTIDvC11XfFvS0qKLE0Mc5kvbXQk Donald Trump and his team haven't exactly been subtle in their campaign against mail-in voting, with the president and his allies throwing around baseless allegations of "fraud" for months. Yesterday, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was offered a chance to defend the offensive. It didn't go well. Host Jake Tapper confronted Meadows on CNN's "State of the Union" about the White House's

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #56 Mainstream Republicans of WA Endorse Treasurer Duane Davidson Mainstream Republicans of WA, the moderate wing of the Republican Party and a group which helped recruit Davidson in 2016, has again endorsed Duane Davidson for State Treasurer. This group celebrated its 50th Gala last October and was founded in response to the 1964 swing of the party toward religious conservatism. Among the notable figures of that organization and candidates they’ve supported are: Dan Evans Three term governor and US Senator and the inspiration of the group. Slade Gorton Past Attorney General and US Senator Sam Reed Past Thurston County Auditor and three term Secretary of State, and one of the co-founders of the group Ralph Munro Three terms Secretary of State and world volunteer of vaccination endeavors. Rob McKenna Past King County Council Member & two term Attorney General Louise Miller Past 45th District Legislator & three term Kin

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #7 This is a two fold attack upon the US Constitution? Isn’t This Person Supposed to Know Better? 1] The US Postal Service was created by the US Constitution in an enabling clause. Pres. Trump’s efforts to damage that institution are, effectively, an assault upon the Constitution and the ability of Americans to communicate and engage in commerce. 2] Preventing states that wish to boost the use of mail in ballots because of the pandemic to do so is a violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, as the protocols for elections are the jurisdiction of the states. - Kmortland WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump frankly acknowledged that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him reelection. In an interview on Fox Business Network, Trump explicitly noted two funding provisions that Democrats are seeking in a relief package that has

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #55 Other Elected Officials Who Have Endorsed Duane Davidson Ten other elected officials from both Western and Eastern Washington have endorsed Treasurer Duane Davidson for re-election. They include: Peter McEnderfer, Franklin County Assessor Brenda Chilton, Benton County Auditor Matt Beaton, Franklin County Auditor Brett Wachsmith, Kittitas County Commissioner Shon Small, Benton County Commissioner Nate Nehring, Snohomish County Council Jon Nehring, Marysville Mayor John Kartak, Snohomish Mayor Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive Kathy Lambert, King County Council Member And that’s another reason why I’m supporting Duane Davidson for re-election, even though WEA chose not to endorse him this time. ----- Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is also a lifelong Republican and a member of Mainstream Republicans of WA Board.

SERIOUSLY! ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME!! #6 Isn’t This Person Supposed to Know Better? — President Trump, in an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News, July 19, 2020 8.14.20 “Dr. Fauci at the beginning said, ‘This will pass. Don’t worry about it. This will pass.’ He was wrong.” Fauci never said anything like “This will pass.” He spoke as a scientist, evaluating the data in front of him. From the start, he warned of the need to be vigilant. On Jan. 20, Fauci told CNN: “If this evolves into a pandemic, there’s no way we in the United States are going to escape having more infections in this country.” On Feb. 29, “When you start to see community spread, this could change and force you to become much more attentive to doing things that would protect you from spread.” “When you have cases throughout the world, the way we’re seeing now — South Korea, Italy, Iran and places like that — the United States cannot be completely immune to that. In other words, Fauci never said “Don’t worry ab

Could This Be the Beginning of a Trend? #24 Growing number of voters oppose Trump demand to fully reopen schools A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll showed more than half of surveyed voters oppose reopening daycares, K-12 schools and full in-person instruction at colleges and universities. By NICOLE GAUDIANO 08/12/2020 06:00 AM EDT https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/12/growing-number-of-voters-oppose-trump-demand-to-fully-reopen-schools-393962?nname=politico-nightly-coronavirus-special-edition&nid=00000170-c000-da87-af78-e185fa700000&nrid=0000015d-7b16-d6d3-a75d-7fd6911e0000&nlid=2670445 A growing majority of voters oppose the Trump administration's demand that schools and colleges fully open for in-person instruction, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. In the survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters, 59 percent said they oppose fully reopening K-12 schools for the beginning of the academic year. Those numbers are up from polling last month that

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #54 Thirty County Treasurers Endorse Davidson 8.14.20 There are thirty-nine counties in WA State and each one has its own treasurer. Of the thirty-nine, thirty have endorsed State Treasurer Duane Davidson for re-election. Some are Republicans, some are Democrats, and a few are Independents, but they all endorsed Davidson. More proof that Treasurer Duane Davidson is the bipartisan candidate. And that’s another reason why I’m supporting Duane Davidson for re-election, even though WEA chose not to endorse him this time. ------ Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is also a lifelong Republican and a member of Mainstream Republicans of WA Board.

Could This Be the Beginning of a Trend? #24 Growing number of voters oppose Trump demand to fully reopen schools A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll showed more than half of surveyed voters oppose reopening daycares, K-12 schools and full in-person instruction at colleges and universities. By NICOLE GAUDIANO 08/12/2020 06:00 AM EDT https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/12/growing-number-of-voters-oppose-trump-demand-to-fully-reopen-schools-393962?nname=politico-nightly-coronavirus-special-edition&nid=00000170-c000-da87-af78-e185fa700000&nrid=0000015d-7b16-d6d3-a75d-7fd6911e0000&nlid=2670445 A growing majority of voters oppose the Trump administration's demand that schools and colleges fully open for in-person instruction, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. In the survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters, 59 percent said they oppose fully reopening K-12 schools for the beginning of the academic year. Those numbers are up from polling last month tha

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #53 What is a Muggle? 8.13.20 According to an online program that sends me a vocabulary lesson each day, a “Muggle” is a person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill. With my limited experience and lack of formal training, I’m a “muggle” on a golf course. The word fascinated me, as it describes what untrained and inexperienced candidates, like Mike Pellicciotti (State Treasurer) and Gael Tarleton (Secretary of State) are likely to be, if either is elected to office. Neither has any training or experience in the skills required for the job. So, it’s not a stretch at all to imagine either one or both becoming a “muggle”. WA State Treasurer Duane Davidson is an experienced and well trained official, as is Sec. of State Kim Wyman. That’s why I”m supporting them both, even though WEA has endorsed neither in this year’s election. ------------ Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #52 Another Democrat Endorses Davidson Davidson is looking like the bipartisan candidate 8.12.20 Brian Sonntag, a Democrat, was WA State Auditor for five terms. Recently, he endorsed State Treasurer Duane Davidson for re-election, rather than endorsing the Democrat. With the three past State Treasurers, that’s the fourth state-wide Democratic officer to endorse Davidson. We’re seeing a trend here. Davidson is looking more and more like the bipartisan candidate. And that’s another reason why I’m supporting Duane Davidson for re-election, even though WEA chose not to endorse him this time. ------ Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is also a lifelong Republican and a member of Mainstream Republicans of WA Board.

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #51 State Treasurer Duane Davidson Endorsed by Three Past State Treasurers 8.11.20 Sometimes, the real measure of a candidate’s value can be found in the list of those who have held the same office and whom they chose to endorse. There are currently three past WA State Treasurers: Dan Grimm-1989-1997-Democrat Michael J. Murphy-1997-2009-Democrat James McIntire-2009-2015-Democrat All three have endorsed Republican Duane Davidson, running for re-election as State Treasurer. Three Democrats, endorsing the Republican over a fellow Democrat. That should tell you something about the superior qualifications of State Treasurer Duane Davidson. And that’s another reason why I’m supporting Duane Davidson for re-election, even though WEA chose not to endorse him this time. Ken Mortland is a member of WEA-Retired, continuing a long career of activism in WEA/NEA. He is also a lifelong Republican and a member o

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #50 Days Like This, I Am Just Baffled 8.7.20 During my fifty years working within our educational system, I’ve seen WEA members demonstrate their understanding of the need for training and experience by building salary schedules that reward additional training and years of experience. I’ve seen WEA PAC leaders recognize the value of training and experience in the endorsements they made (Kim Wyman 2012 & 2016 and Duane Davidson 2016). But, this election cycle, I’ve seen WEA PAC abandon those sensible values and endorse two candidates with little or no training or experience in the jobs they are seeking. Those candidates are Gael Tarleton -Secretary of State and Mike Pellicciotti-State Treasurer. Tarleton is an ex-Port Commission and State Legislator and Pellicciotti is an ex-legislator and lawyer. Both are Democrats. Secretary of State Kim Wyman leads Tarleton by approximately 7%. Mike Pellicciotti leads State Treasurer D

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #49 Wyman Cautions About Rapid Ramp-up 8.6.20 In the same June 8th article quoted in #48, Sec. of State Kim Wyman cautions about what she sees as the biggest problem with every state doing Vote by Mail in November. It’s a reasonable concern. “We’ve had so much time to really fine-tune those processes,” said Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a leading Republican advocate for mail voting. “That’s probably my biggest concern with this rapid ramp-up to expand absentee voting or move to a vote-by-mail model is: Do they have the time to build up that capacity?” This is the kind of professional analysis and reporting we need and get from Sec. of State Kim Wyman, who has supervised elections every year since 1993. Her opponent, who so often attacks her as a Trump ally, reveals her lack of understanding, regarding Trump’s accusations. Trump makes baseless claims about voting fraud, when the real issue is preparing the infrastructu

On Behalf of WEA’s More Conservative Members #48 Washington Post Quotes Sec. of State Kim Wyman 8.5.20 In a June 8th article, the Washington Post quotes Kim Wyman on the issue of fraud in Vote by Mail and contradicts the attacks and accusation by Pres. Trump of “rampant fraud”. Trump’s Comment “As nearly every state expands its capacity for absentee voting this year, President Trump and his GOP allies have attacked the process as prone to rampant fraud.” “MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE,” Trump tweeted last month. “ . . . WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION.” 0.0025% in 14.6 million votes “But a Washington Post analysis of data collected by three vote-by-mail states with help from the nonprofit Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) found that officials identified just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0