It takes a fraud to salute a fellow fraud as a “Future Leader” of the GOP. Maybe they’ll be running mates…

George Santos & Elise Stefanik. It takes a fraud to know one. (official GOP Photo)

Over the past year, I’ve written a few pieces about Georgie Santos, the former Drag Queen of a thousand lavish costume changes and faces, as he and his fellow blowhards like Steve Bannon, Elise Stefanik, Lee Zeldin and Kevin McCarthy inflated Santos, like a Diva Diribigle, onto the New York and National Political scenes.

Then, like the Hindenburg blimp bursting into flames over Lakehurst, New Jersey, the imposter immolated himself as he lied and lied as fast as he could flap his arms and his gums. First came a swath of indictments for breaking a number of federal laws, then his arrests, his criminal convictions, and finally, a 7 year jail sentence.

Now, Elise Stefanik’s favorite dragged queen—who cast a crucial vote to make Kevin McCarthy (briefly) Speaker of the House, is being kicked out of the Congress he faked his way into, and sent off to a federal penitentiary.

Sadly, it was only when House Ethics investigators discovered that Santos illegally used campaign funds for Botox, Spa Treatments, lavish hotel visits, fancy meals and expensive clothing—all such stereotypically Drag Queenie stuff—that they decided he was too much of a fraud, even for House Republicans—who have masqueraded as lawmakers, ever since they tried to burn the U.S. government down on January 6, 2021.

Trump, and his busted little valise, Elise, stooped to the cultishness SantosRia to a new low of fraud, deception, lying and lawlessness by defending the pardoning of 1,500 January 6 Felons—among them many violent criminals, pedophiles, wife-beaters and thugs.

High on her own Harvard-bashing hijinks—which paved the way for Trump’s university, law firm and business extortionism— Stefanik has proven to be a slimy little shape-shifter: one minute a House leader; the next an almost-UN Ambassador, followed by her latest costume change—a candidate for New York State Governor. Her upstate New York Congressional Constituents—abandoned by Elise’s raw ambition again and again—could be forgiven if they exhumed the long-dead body of Sam Stratton, and elected him in absentia to represent them. Even a Dead Sam would be better than being fleeced by an Elise Scam. Shades of Georgie Porgy Santos….

So before you even think you have to listen to the Busted Valise’s bloviation over “fraud,” “waste”, and “abuse,” being bleated by Crypto-craven GOP ghouls in Congress or scampering, like rats feet, through the Trump Administration, remember who was the chief cheerleader for George “The Felon” Santos as a key part of the “Next Generation of Republican Leadership.”

Isn’t that the kind of vision and judgement you want to see in Congress? Or in the Governorship of NY? A vote for Stefanik is a vote for Santos. If the Democrats don’t start buying billboards NOW all over upstate New York, featuring the official GOP photo of Elise and the Lyin’ Beast, they are more comatose then any of us have ever accused them of being.

I look forward to the day when Georgie Porgy Santos, sidekick of Elise Stefanik and future leader of the MAGA movement, is hauled off to jail. Like many law abiding Americans, I love the sound of GOP frauds, liars and cheats being handcuffed in the morning.

We’ve written and designed our own Passover Haggadah for the last 11 years, with themes of learning, life and love for our 3 granddaughters & friends This year the choice was clear.

For the past 11 years, our family has celebrated Passover with our own homegrown, family-designed and written Haggadah, the story of the special holiday, read at each night’s Seder.

It came about because I was frustrated and disappointed by the traditional Haggadah’s available. We used the free kind (offered by Chock-Full-of-Nuts) and the elaborate ones which cost $19.95 per book. None of them satisfied me.

I scoured book stores, Jewish Museums and temples for kid-friendly versions, which were not condescending, impenetrable, sexist and insulting to the intelligence of our three super smart granddaughters.

Finally, in desperation, I decided to write my own Haggadah, and, each year, build it around a theme that would captivate our girls attention. Fresh in my mind was a schtick Jon Stewart did on his Daily Show, about how we Jews were not very good marketers of our faith and our holidays, in comparison to Christians. Stewart compared our constant battles, and beatings and boils and mean tyrants to the Christian use of an Easter Bunny to soften the nailing to a crucifix of a socialist preacher, or the endless parade of gifts to celebrate the birth of Christ, an illegal immigrant, and illegitimate child.

So, I took Jon Stewart’s advice and decided to pin Passover to the latest passion of our granddaughters, and not only write it into a “book,” but acting it out in what our youngest called “The Passover Puppet Show.” It made them look forward to and plan for Passover each Spring. One year we celebrated a “Shopkin Passover,” with tiny toy Shopkins being led to the Promised Land by Moses; another, it was the “Sheroes” of TV fame who defeated the evil Pharoah; still another time, our stars of the show were “Axlotyls” those amazing, regenerative creatures who could never be defeated, because they give themselves rebirth, whenever they are attacked or harmed. A perfect metaphor for Jewish resilience, I thought.

This year in the face of ferocious political attacks on everyone who was “different” in some way, “Diversity” was our favored theme, hands down, especially since our family is rich with Neurodiversity, ethnic diversity, and sexual diversity. The girls “Grammy” led the way by carefully building the Lego “Rainbow People”, which served as the centerpiece of our “Rainbow Passover” Seder Table.

Everything else flowed from there, especially when our youngest granddaughter, G, Age 9, was told what the theme would be for this Passover. She handcrafted beautiful, intricately designed table place cards, with tiny creatures (frog, dogs, cats) peaking over each letter of her grandmother’s name. She drew, freehand, a delicious-looking piece of cake, which would have made the artist Wayne Thiebaud quite proud, and she dedicated it as a place card for her oldest sister, who was away at school and unable to join us this year.

I devoted four hours of Passover morning rewriting our Haggadah, around the theme of our “Rainbow Passover.” Events of the first 90 days of the terrible Trump Two Administration—with a wild-eyed war on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, attacking Sojourner Truth, Maya Angelou, Holocaust Survivors, the LGBTQ community, and ever single Black, Brown or Indigenous legend of history—made writing this year’s Diversity Haggadah, the easiest writing assignment of all.

The words and images poured out of me:

“Once upon a time, in a not too distant land, lived a mad, mad king. The Mad King was very cruel. He called people names, made fun of them if they were disabled, or if their skin were a different color than his, or if they didn’t bow to his God, or if they loved someone he thought they should not, or ESPECIALLY if they were smart, talented, creative, independent Girls…

“Because he hated anything or anyone different, the Mad, evil King ordered that ALL the Rainbows in the sky be turned off—and that ALL of the Rainbow People be shipped off to a dangerous prison, in a dangerous place, like El Salvador…”

The girls, two 13 year-olds and a nine-year old, loved the reference to current events. Our Miriam, Moses sister who saved him as an infant, was a Rainbow bedecked Grover, called “Princess Loving Heart” who:

“Gently wrapped Moses’ little boat in her Rainbow Coat; she hugged the cozy boat (designed by our 9-year old granddaughter), surrounding it with Rainbow Roses. (Brought to the Seder by our friends who were attending their first Seder ever.)

“She loved and raised her Rainbow Sisters, whose colors grew bolder, and they became resisters; they resisted all cruelty, evil and hate, because—in their hearts—all humans and animals were great!”

Our Rainbow People, symbolic for the Jews fleeing the Mad Pharoah of Egypt, resisted their Mad King’s efforts to beat them down, brought down a storm of plagues upon the Mad King, using finger puppets portraying each plague, played to perfection by the every participant at our Passover table.

And, just like the Lego model proudly occupying the center of our Seder table, the Red Sea parted to let our Rainbow People go.

“The Rainbow People were free at last, their days as slaves, now long past; their differences, valued; their DIVERSITY, a blessing; each with a dignity that left no one guessing…

“They had made it to the Promised Land, with each giving the other a helping hand; “Hope, Everlasting,” each Rainbow said, as they all dreamed as big as the Rainbows over their Heads.”

It was simply the best Passover celebration we ever had.

With some of the nation’s biggest law firms caving into threats from the Trump Administration, the Sonoma County legal community–where the majority of of our judges are women–is standing tall.

SONOMA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION STANDS WITH ABA, NATIONAL LGBTQ BAR ASSOCIATION AND OTHER LOCAL, STATE BAR ASSOCIATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE RULE OF LAW.

The Sonoma County Bar Association’s (SCBA) 29-member Board of Directors unanimously endorsed a statement by the American Bar Association (ABA) and bar associations from across the country reaffirming our commitment to the Rule of Law and the integrity of our legal system.

“As the pre-eminent legal organization representing nearly 1,000 legal professionals—and a population of nearly half-million residents throughout Sonoma County—we cannot emphasize enough that the Rule of Law is the foundation for a just and democratic society,” said SCBA Executive Director Steve Villano.

“The ABA’s powerful statement—endorsed by many other local, state and national bar associations—is a clear reminder that local bar associations like SCBA, and our attorneys, play a crucial role in defending democratic institutions, protecting access to justice, and ensuring that legal protection applies equally to all,” Villano added.

The SCBA and its member law firms and attorneys have served the people of Sonoma County since 1921, with the highest level of legal services. The joint statement appears below:

“We the undersigned bar organizations stand together with and in support of the American Bar Association to defend the rule of law and reject efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession.


We endorse the sentiments expressed by the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in his 2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary, “[w]ithin the past year we have also seen the need for state and federal bar associations to come to the defense of a federal district judge whose decisions in a high-profile case prompted an elected official to call for her impeachment. Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed.”

We support the right of people to advance their interests in courts of law when they have been wronged. We reject the notion that the U.S. government can punish lawyers and law firms who represent certain clients or punish judges who rule certain ways. We cannot accept government actions that seek to twist the scales of justice in this manner.

We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession. We will not stay silent in the face of efforts to remake the legal profession into something that rewards those who agree with the government and punishes those who do not. Words and actions matter. And the intimidating words and actions we have heard and seen must end. They are designed to cow our country’s judges, our country’s courts and our legal profession.

There are clear choices facing our profession. We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to continue or we can stand for the rule of law and the values we hold dear. We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers in private practice from Main Street to Wall Street, as well as those in corporations and who serve in elected positions, to speak out against intimidation.

If lawyers do not speak, who will speak for our judges? Who will protect our bedrock of justice? If we do not speak now, when will we speak? Now is the time. That is why we stand together with the ABA in support of the rule of law.”

American Bar Association
Alameda County (California) Bar Association
Alexandria (Virginia) Bar Association
Allegheny County Bar Association (Pennsylvania)
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Appellate Lawyers Association
Arab American Bar Association of Illinois
Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers
Atlanta Bar Association
Bar Association of Erie County (New York)
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Bar Association of San Francisco
Berks County (Pennsylvania) Bar Association
Beverly Hills Bar Association
Boston Bar Association
Boulder County (Colorado) Bar Association
California La Raza Lawyers Association
Chicago Bar Association
Chicago Council of Lawyers
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Columbus (Ohio) Bar Association
Connecticut Bar Association
Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Contra Costa (California) County Bar Association
Cook County Bar Association
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association
Delaware State Bar Association
Detroit Bar Association and Foundation
Durham County Bar Association
East Bay La Raza Lawyers (California) Association
Erie County (Pennsylvania) Bar Association
First Judicial District Bar Association (Colorado)
Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego
Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Greensboro Bar Association
Hampden County Bar Association
Hawaii Women Lawyers
Hennepin County (Minnesota) Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
Hudson County (New Jersey) Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
International Academy of Trial Lawyers
International Society of Barristers
The Iowa State Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Foundation
Lawyers Club of San Diego
Long Beach (California) Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Louisville Bar Association
Maine State Bar Association
Maricopa County Bar Association
Marin County Bar Association
Massachusetts Bar Association
Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association
Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Middlesex County (New Jersey) Bar Association
Milwaukee Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Monroe County (New York) Bar Association
Multnomah Bar Association (Portland, Oregon)
Muslim Bar Association of Chicago
Nassau County (New York) Bar Association
National ABS Law Firm Association
National Arab American Bar Association
National Arab American Bar Association – Michigan Chapter
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
National Association of Women Lawyers
National Conference of Bar Presidents
National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations
National Filipino American Lawyers Association
National LGBTQ+ Bar Association
National Native American Bar Association
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
New Mexico Black Lawyers Association
New York City Bar Association
New York County Lawyers Association
North County (California) Bar Association
Ohio Women’s Bar Association
Oregon State Bar Board of Governors
Palestinian American Bar Association
Passaic County (New Jersey) Bar Association
Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Philadelphia Bar Association
Queen’s Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area
Queens County (New York) Bar Association
Ramsey County (Minnesota) Bar Association
San Diego County Bar Association
San Fernando Valley (California) Bar Association
Santa Clara County Bar Association (California)
Sonoma County Bar Association
South Asian Bar Association of North America
South Carolina Women Lawyers Association
Southwest Colorado Bar Association
State Bar of New Mexico
Virgin Islands Bar Association
Washington Council of Lawyers
Washington State Bar Board of Governors
Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts
Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia
Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
Worcester County (Massachusetts) Bar Association