Rhymes with "Stitt"

[heironymouspasparagus]

No question that the burning jet fuel, probably enhanced by the fire draft, softened the steel.  It may have melted some but not all of it.  My only comment was that jet fuel, not burning, at normal storage temperatures does not melt steel.  Think of all the storage tanks that don't melt.

Ahhh...subtle details...my 'old guy' moment for the day.

[patric]

So why is this vaccine different than all the dozens of others people the military have to get? 

I was in the army and they literally have you walk past a long line of doctors giving you shots. Frankly I don't know what they all were and I don't think anyone cared, we had plenty other things on our mind lol.  And there are a lot of countries that if you are going to get deployed to, you have to get shots protecting you from specific disease threats known to be in that country (and lord knows what else you are going to be exposed to in those places, just part of the deal and you know it going in).

Is this where we are headed?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday proposed reestablishing a World War II-era civilian-military force that he would control.

DeSantis pitched the idea of creating the Florida State Guard, which would be independent of federal control, while speaking about his military budget proposal.

The Guard would consist of 200 volunteer civilians "trained in the best emergency response techniques" that would aid in the event of natural disasters or other state emergencies, according to a press release.

DeSantis said the proposed unit would "not be encumbered by the federal government," adding that this force would give him "the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible."

Florida Democrats pushed back on the proposal, with 2022 Democratic gubernatorial challenger Rep. Charlie Crist (Fla.) calling the proposed unit "handpicked secret police."

DeSantis's proposal comes after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged National Guard members to get vaccinated or face losing their pay.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/584178-desantis-proposes-civilian-florida-state-guard-military-force-he-would

[patric]

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration seeking to halt the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for federal employees and the Oklahoma National Guard.

The suit was filed in the Western District in Oklahoma City. The state, Gov. Kevin Stitt, O'Connor and 16 members of the Oklahoma Air National Guard are named as plaintiffs.

Last session, the state Legislature gave O'Connor's office $10 million to fight what they claim is federal overreach and authorized the ability to review executive orders.

O'Connor asked the court to for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction followed by a permanent injunction, preventing the enforcement of the vaccine mandate.

Additionally, the lawsuit seeks to block the Biden administration from withholding federal funding from the Oklahoma National Guard or its members.

O'Connor's office also requests the court declare the mandate unconstitutional on multiple grounds.

The legal challenge contends that since Congress has not enacted a law requiring vaccinations, allowing Biden to do so on his own would be unconstitutional.

The lawsuit also alleges that the mandate violates the due process right to bodily integrity and the Fourth Amendment right against unconstitutional searches and seizures.

"Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate ensures that many Oklahoma National Guard members will simply quit instead of getting a vaccine, a situation that will irreparably harm Oklahomans' safety and security," O'Connor said. "These patriots, along with many federal employees, who serve their country and their state are now at risk of being terminated because they do not wish to take the vaccine."

The action comes after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin turned down Stitt's request to exempt the Oklahoma National Guard from the mandate.

Austin said all members of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard, regardless of duty status, must follow the federal requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations.

"Failure to do so may lead to a prohibition on the member's participation in drills and training conducted under Title 32 and jeopardize the member's status in the National Guard," Austin wrote in a Monday letter to Stitt.

Unless the guard is mobilized by the president, Stitt said he retains authority over all training and governance of the Oklahoma National Guard, including determining if and how training guidelines issued by the president will be implemented.

"I will continue fighting to protect Oklahoma against this alarming pattern of unconstitutional federal overreach coming from the Biden administration," Stitt said.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/oklahoma-ag-files-lawsuit-over-federal-military-vaccination-requirement/article_0b85869c-53bf-11ec-9881-3b59acc6ea3f.html

Worth noting: The suit is asking the court to block the mandate for all federal employees, not just the National Guard.

[patric]

Top National Guard officer tests positive for Covid

Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, tested positive for Covid-19 this week and is now isolating while working remotely, a bureau spokesperson said Friday.  "All other members of the National Guard Bureau staff are continuing with their duties under the existing COVID protocols, and all continue to be tested, as required," the spokesperson added in a statement.

Hokanson is the National Guard's highest-ranking officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The news of Hokanson's positive test comes amid increasing tensions between components of the National Guard and senior Pentagon leadership over the Defense Department's vaccine mandate.

Last month, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, the state's adjutant general, to notify the state's National Guard soldiers and airmen that they would not be required to get their shots.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby maintained at the time that "[it] is a lawful order for National Guardsmen to receive the Covid vaccine."

On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had decided that National Guard members who refuse vaccination will be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/03/top-national-guard-officer-tests-positive-for-covid-523722

[tulsabug]

On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had decided that National Guard members who refuse vaccination will be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/03/top-national-guard-officer-tests-positive-for-covid-523722

Gotta love when this hit the point of "fark around and find out". Enjoy getting biatched-slapped by the bureaucracy of the Federal government!! Good times!

[tulsabug]

Is this where we are headed?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday proposed reestablishing a World War II-era civilian-military force that he would control.

DeSantis pitched the idea of creating the Florida State Guard, which would be independent of federal control, while speaking about his military budget proposal.

The Guard would consist of 200 volunteer civilians "trained in the best emergency response techniques" that would aid in the event of natural disasters or other state emergencies, according to a press release.

DeSantis said the proposed unit would "not be encumbered by the federal government," adding that this force would give him "the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible."

Florida Democrats pushed back on the proposal, with 2022 Democratic gubernatorial challenger Rep. Charlie Crist (Fla.) calling the proposed unit "handpicked secret police."

DeSantis's proposal comes after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged National Guard members to get vaccinated or face losing their pay.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/584178-desantis-proposes-civilian-florida-state-guard-military-force-he-would

[patric]

'Gross Disservice': Oklahoma AG Slammed for Idiotic Vaccine Comments


The top law enforcement officer in Oklahoma is facing a wave of criticism after he suggested on Tuesday that science surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines — which have been researched by scientists around the world for almost two years and approved in the U.S. even for children as young as five — remains unclear.

"I think the science isn't really clear on this COVID vaccine," Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor said during a press conference about the state's legal battle over COVID vaccine mandates. He stood alongside Gov. Kevin Stitt, who defended the state's role in five lawsuits aimed at blocking federal vaccine requirements.

"I have been vaccinated, and my problem is not with the vaccine, my problem is with the notion of it being mandated," he said, before he went on to accuse federal officials of making employers "do the dirty work of the Biden administration" by requiring employees get the jab.

"Who do you trust for the information?" O'Connor said. "At one point we were told that the natural immunity was 27 times more effective than the vaccine, and yet, when all of these mandates roll out, they don't give any respect to natural immunity."

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment about O'Connor's claims suggesting that "natural immunity" trumped vaccines.

O'Connor's comment on immunity goes against CDC guidance which urges all eligible people—including those previously infected with the virus—to get vaccinated. His suggestion that the science backing vaccines isn't clear also appears to ignore the agency's data, which has involved clinical trials and ongoing real-world evaluation indicating that vaccines "are highly effective against hospitalization and death for a variety of strains" of COVID-19, including the Delta variant, which continues to dominate in the United States.

His skepticism about the science behind vaccines came as the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 new COVID cases Tuesday and as nations around the world struggle to contend with the Omicron variant. President Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has encouraged Americans to "get boosted" in an effort to provide an added layer of protection against the new strain.

Caroline Swink, a registered nurse, who referred to "the experimental COVID-19 vaccine," and cited "discrimination" against the unvaccinated, also spoke at Stitt's press conference Tuesday.

"Pfizer has asked that for 55 years that the data not be released — what are they trying to hide?" she said.
The comments are a misrepresentation of the FDA's proposal about how it would release roughly 329,000 pages of data and information it used to approve the Pfizer vaccine to a group of professors and scientists who filed suit in September in federal court to expedite access to the documents through the Freedom of Information Act.

In a joint status report last month, Justice Department attorneys said that before the FDA can turn over the documents, it must strike from them "confidential business and trade secret information of Pfizer or BioNTech and personal privacy information of patients who participated in clinical trials."

The FDA has proposed releasing 500 pages per month on a rolling basis, Reuters reported.

Oklahoma State Medical Association's president Dr. Mary Clarke slammed state leaders in the wake of the comments, criticizing their efforts to undermine the science supporting COVID-19 vaccines.

"With respect to the AG, to question the science that we've been working on for two years globally, I think, is misunderstanding the science," Clarke said during a briefing about the virus hours later, according to Tulsa World. "I think, really, to question your science and your medical professionals and say that someone doesn't agree with that—being a nonscience person themselves—I think is a gross disservice to the public."

https://www.thedailybeast.com/oklahoma-attorney-general-john-oconnor-slammed-for-idiotic-covid-vaccine-comments

[swake]

The party of idiocy.

[heironymouspasparagus]

The party of idiocy.

Much more.   The party of Treason.

[patric]

The party of idiocy.

TULSA, Okla. — Unvaccinated members of the Oklahoma Air National Guard will not be allowed to serve, even if they are under the command of Governor Kevin Stitt, a new document released by the Secretary of the Air Force Wednesday stated.

The U.S. Air Force released its new COVID-19 guidance on Wednesday which complies with President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for all servicemen and women. It came with supplemental guidance for air national guard members whose deadline to be vaccinated passed late last week.

In it, the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force withdraws consent for members to be allowed to serve unvaccinated against COVID while they were just on state duty and under the command of the governor of their state.

"IAW 32 U.S.C. 328, the Secretary of the Air Force hereby withdraws consent for members not fully vaccinated to be placed on or to continue on previously issued Title 32 Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) orders," the document states.

The chain of command under Title 32 status makes Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commander in chief of the Oklahoma Air and Army National Guard. Stitt has previously said and is now suing to stop the President's vaccine mandate for national guard members. However, things get further complicated if The Guard will need to be called up for Federal duty under Title 10. Then, Stitt's position wouldn't matter. President Biden would become commander in chief of the unit, and they would be subject to orders from the Pentagon who has stood firm on there being no unvaccinated members of the military.

The Air Force will classify its Air National Guard members into four categories by December 31st, 2021. Anyone not in one of those four classifications (unvaccinated members) could no longer be eligible to serve. The groups of people allowed to continue serving will be: (1) completed or have started a vaccination regimen, (2) have requested or received a medical exemption, (3) have requested or received a Religious Accommodation Request (RAR), and (4) have requested or received an administrative exemption.

"No one lost their job today," Major Kristin Tschetter, public information officer for the Oklahoma National Guard, told FOX23. "But we are still learning about how this could play into future status later on."

Tschetter said with a lawsuit pending in court, and the governor's office still looking at the new guidance, we are all waiting to see how unvaccinated members should move forward with their jobs after the holidays.

"We still have a lot to go through legally and analyze what this means," she said.

The U.S. Army's vaccine mandate is not set to take effect until June 2022, and it is expected that the current legal battle with the Air Force will shape how the Oklahoma Army National Guard facing similar circumstances will operate in the future.

The new guidance went on to state that some unvaccinated members could have to pay back the military for special pay and incentives, and they would not be allowed to train or drill in accordance with Title 10 and Title 32.

Brigadier General Thomas H. Mancino, state adjutant general and commander of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard released a statement following the document.

In this statement, Mancino expressed his support for Gov. Stitt's authority under the constitution and Title 32 to govern his forces in Oklahoma, but says, "It is a legal question as to how far that authority extends."

"Anyone exercising their personal responsibility and deciding not to take the vaccine, must realize that the potential for career ending federal action, baring a favorable court ruling, legislative intervention, or a change in policy is present," Mancino continued.

It is possible, an unvaccinated member could be involuntary reassigned to the individual ready reserve.

"I recognize the authority of the Secretary under 32 U.S.C. 328 to withhold consent allowing unvaccinated members to be placed on Title 32 Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) orders. This is a valid use of his authority under Title 32 and will be respected," Mancino said.

https://www.krmg.com/news/local/unvaccinated-members-oklahoma-air-national-guard-will-not-be-able-serve/DI2ZGJGCSVAP5AXXW7ZJS7N2UE/

[patric]

Retired US army generals warn of insurrection or civil war in 2024 if rogue military units pledge loyalty to a 'Trumpian' loser


Three retired US army generals warned of an insurrection or even civil war if the results of the 2024 presidential election were not accepted by some in the military.

Former Major Gen. Paul Eaton, former Major Gen. Antonio Taguba, and former Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson made the warnings in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday.

They wrote that they were "increasingly concerned" about the 2024 election and the "potential for lethal chaos inside our military."

The generals highlighted the "disturbing number" of veterans and active-duty members of the military that took part in the January 6 attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters – more than 1 in 10 of those charged had a service record.

They outlined a possible situation in which, after the 2024 election, some service members might pledge loyalty to a "Trumpian loser" who refuses to concede defeat and tries to lead a shadow government.

"Under such a scenario, it is not outlandish to say a military breakdown could lead to civil war," they wrote.

Since the last election, the generals warned that even more turmoil and division had emerged in the armed forces.

They pointed to recent resistance within the military towards federal vaccine mandates, such as a refusal to comply led by the commander of the Oklahoma National Guard, Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino.

Mancino claimed that while the Oklahoma Guard is not federally mobilized, their commander in chief is the Republican governor of the state and not the president.

The generals wrote that they fear if 2024 is a contested election that splits loyalties, there is the "potential for a total breakdown of the chain of command along partisan lines."

"The idea of rogue units organizing among themselves to support the 'rightful' commander in chief cannot be dismissed," they said.

The generals urged that everything must be done to prevent another insurrection, including holding leaders who inspired the last one to be held to account.

They said there was also work to be done by the military, such as reviewing how to deal with illegal orders and undertaking intelligence work to identify and remove potential mutineers.

The military should also work to identify how misinformation spreads in the ranks.

https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-army-generals-insurrection-or-civil-war-2024-wapo-2021-12
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/17/eaton-taguba-anderson-generals-military/

[Red Arrow]

Retired US army generals warn of insurrection or civil war in 2024 if rogue military units pledge loyalty to a 'Trumpian' loser

Fortunately, we have some time to prepare.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Fortunately, we have some time to prepare.

How is that gonna work?   We have been trying to prepare for decades and the backward, right wing slide just keeps on keeping on..

[Red Arrow]

How is that gonna work?   We have been trying to prepare for decades and the backward, right wing slide just keeps on keeping on..

I think maybe only a decade, singular, that it's been serious.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I think maybe only a decade, singular, that it's been serious.

I and many friends/acquaintances have been VERY active at it since age 15.  Mid 60's.   Wish it was only 'decade'.