ELEPHANT EARS
BY JEFF MOSESSO
At the start of Downtown Friday, it looked like it was going to be a Dud. Not many people were attending, probably thinking it was going to rain or be cancelled. That changed around 6:30 pm and the folks started coming by. The weather was a little warm but there was a nice breeze to help us out. God smiling on Volunteers I’d bet.
Working the table and interacting with the attendees were Frank Sosta, Barb DeFrino, Jay and Alla Kramer and Jeff Mosesso. Stopping by the show table from REC to say Hi (apologies if I missed anyone) was Linda Anselmini. Thanks to ALL!
We obtained eight Voter Registrations.
Clubs and REC info was handed out to those registering and filling out ballot access petitions. Folks loved the American flag waving that Barbara DeFrino is doing... and she’s doing a fine job at that! We’re going to need more US Constitution booklets as these go quickly, especially to parents with children who are not getting this information in our schools and colleges.
Some stories to share from folks stopping by to register and/or speak with us:
A couple that moved from California to Vero Beach in March stopped by. I asked why they moved. They wanted to get away from the high Taxes and to get among politically like-minded thinkers as they were “fed up” with California politics. They also “liked the friendly people in Florida.”
A couple from New Jersey stopped by, recently moving to Vero Beach on August 8th. Of course, I had to ask why they moved out and they were not a bit shy or reserved about why they moved out of Jersey, noting there were many reasons. I couldn’t keep up as they spoke, but I captured some of them: “NJ sucks, the Governor is a scumbag and they wanted to live in a Republican state”. I should have had a tape recorder! And the man stated that he “wanted to keep his firearms”. Wow! that exercising-my-Second Amendment-rights thing again. Seems to be a strong motivator to get out of Democrat states. Of course, I just had to tell him about our 5-star public shooting range in Sebastian…
Alla informed me that a family of six from Delaware had moved to Vero Beach and stopped by the table. While the kids were doing downtown, Dad was registering Republican! OoooohRah!
A couple moving to Vero Beach permanently from Toronto, Canada stopped by. The man was a dual citizen, and his wife was in the process of same. As the man was registering, I asked both why they were moving. They had had enough of Trudeau and the lockdowns. Freedom Rings in Fla.
And we had the pleasure of meeting, chatting (and registering) Mr. Ricky Alfaras. Mr. Alfaras will be the general manager of the new Bambuu restaurant opening in the very near future on Rt. 60 by the Murphy’s gas station. We wished him the best for the restaurant.
Most of the comments that I receive at our events from folks stopping by the table for information and to register with our Party are Positive. One particular exchange I had with a man who stopped by with a friend set me back for a minute. While his friend was registering, I asked the man if he would like to fill out a candidate ballot access petition. He stated “No! I used to be a Republican, but You people let me down”. This reminded me of the Utah couples’ comments in the last newsletter leaving their home because of Mitt Romney and some others there. I did not have a fix for this man to get him to change his mind and re-register. I’ll pursue this more in future events to see if there is anything actionable for us. I’m thinking about emphasizing our Republican Party Platform’s Principles and Values to these previous members to get them back on board, with the purpose of them rejoining and working with us to correct what’s not being adhered to.
I encourage other REC members to attend future downtown events (last Friday of each month) and work the tables, especially with the cooler evenings coming in the fall and winter months and I trust, more attendees wanting to join up as the opposition continues its Socialist agenda. We always have good interactions and positive comments from the attendees stopping by and at times, some uncomfortable but necessary negative feedback for us to consider. If we can get the word out that we are there and are working to defeat those who are wrecking our Republic and shaming our nation, they will be looking for us. Let’s be ready for them to choose to come aboard and join the fight. And let’s get the message to RPOF and RNC that we had better keep any and all promises and commitments made to our voters, or we’ll lose them and much more. For good.
We had lots of fun Friday night… and Pizza. Thanks Jay. Now, if there was just something in the Bylaws about authorizing beer at the next event with the pizza….
Best to all,
Jeff Mosesso
Precinct 32 Committeeman
RPOF CHAIRMAN JOE GRUTERS' MESSAGE
Another Media Hit Job Collapses On Itself
Apparently, the corporate media will continue to try to smear Governor Ron DeSantis with baseless, ignorant hit jobs. It is an acknowledgment of the effectiveness of our Governor’s leadership, and the fear he creates in his political opponents.
In the latest installment, after the widely debunked 60 Minutes attack piece, the Florida Associated Press took its shot with a story that not only was a political attack on the Governor, but worse it jeopardized the health of its readers. The article, titled “DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes,” was framed in dangerous political insinuations that will undoubtedly lead some people to decline seeking the life-saving treatment.
After the Governor’s staff rightly dispelled the misleading narrative and exposed the partisan agenda of the Associated Press story, the media outlet sent a letter to Governor DeSantis August 20, criticizing him for his staff’s efforts to correct the record. That’s when the Governor responded personally to the brazen AP, writing a letter not only defending his staff, but once again calling on the Associated Press and corporate outlets to stop creating conspiracy theories, publishing clickbait headlines and circulating partisan political narratives, at the expense of readers and their health.
In his letter to Daisy Veerasingham, the AP’s incoming CEO, Governor DeSantis said he expected Veerasingham was writing to notify him they were retracting their story, not whining that his Press Secretary had done her job and rightly pushed back on the partisan story.
“Instead, you had the temerity to complain about the deserved blowback that your botched and discredited attempt to concoct a political narrative has received. This ploy will not work to divert attention from the fact that the Associated Press published a false narrative that will lead some to decline effective treatment for COVID infections.”
He pointed out that clinical trials of monoclonal antibody treatments result in a 70% reduction in hospitalization and death. That’s a hugely beneficial treatment, and the AP story undermined people’s confidence in it.
Florida
Once again, Governor DeSantis was correct in his approach to Covid. A new CDC study shows there is no rationale to forcibly mask children. After analyzing 90,000 Georgia elementary students, the CDC confirmed no significant statistical difference between optional and mandatory masked schools.
So, while the Biden Administration continues to fixate on Florida and Governor DeSantis, their own CDC study vindicates our Governor’s approach. And doing what makes him such a strong leader, Governor DeSantis refused to bow to the baseless White House attacks and chastised the administration for its obsession with using the federal government to forcibly mask children.
“I mean, you’ve got to wonder, where are your priorities that you’re so obsessed with this issue and so obsessed with taking away parents’ rights?” the governor asked. “And you’re letting Afghanistan burn, our border burn, and so many other things in our country fall to pieces.”
Even New York Magazine reported that, “Children are less likely to have severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, and when infected less likely to be symptomatic, which correlates with lower contagiousness. Those facts alone may account for part of the reason why the Georgia study found no clear benefit for a masking requirement for kids in schools.”
Hula Bowl Coming to Florida
Governor DeSantis announced Florida will host the upcoming Hula Bowl at the University of Central Florida’s Bounce House Stadium in 2022. The game, set for January 15, 2022, will be the ninth NCAA bowl game in Florida during the upcoming college football season. The Hula Bowl, which started in 1946, is a postseason “All Star” bowl game, featuring standout NCAA football players from all divisions.
“On behalf of our entire state, I’m proud to welcome the Hula Bowl to Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Our state continues to attract premier athletic events, which is great news for our economy, Florida families, and the fans who come here from all over the world for world-class experiences.”
“The state of Florida has been amazing in welcoming our game to the Sunshine State and Governor DeSantis made it clear to us that the state of Florida is indeed open for business,” said Jennifer Logan, Executive Vice President of the Hula Bowl. “The Governor’s support for Floridians is clear.”
The Environmental Governor
The South Florida Water Management District held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an underground seepage wall in the 8.5 Square Mile Area (Las Palmas Community). The underground concrete wall will help mitigate flooding in the area, keep water in Everglades National Park, and support increased flows of water south which are necessary for Everglades restoration.
“When I took office, I made Everglades restoration and protection of Florida’s water resources a top priority,” Governor DeSantis said. “My administration has provided record investments and expedited key projects to restore the Everglades and send more water south. Today’s groundbreaking is yet another example of my administration’s commitment to Florida’s natural resources.”
Seepage walls are well-established engineering structures that help to limit the flow of water underground that can lead to above-ground flooding.
Washington, DC
Rubio and Others Warned Biden Administration
Republican Senator Marco Rubio was on Fox News’ Sean Hannity program explaining that Biden was warned for months what would happen in Afghanistan if there was a precipitous U.S. withdrawal of military forces. And he ignored it, and the consequences happened.
“Sean, not just did I tell them, but it was a bipartisan warning, OK?” he said. “You look at the intelligence, you look at everything before us, it was clear that not only was it the worst-case scenario out there, it was the likeliest outcome that was going to happen, and we kept insisting, what is the plan if this happens? What is the plan? And they arrogantly, and they smugly ignored it. They ignored everyone who was warning them because they’re the experts, they know everything, and now we’ve seen the consequences."
“There are two things now to keep in mind,” Rubio continued. “Number one is Joe Biden was elected promising competence, the return on normalcy, the return of expertise to foreign policy, and we see that they can’t even execute on something like this, and ignore the people who know something about it. That does encourage people like China — countries like China and other adversaries not just to go out and try to undermine confidence in America, but actually test America and think they can get away with it.”
“And the other is something that the Pentagon’s already saying, and we’ve already been saying for close to nine months, the biggest problem here is going to be now that al Qaeda is coming back to Afghanistan, let there be no doubt,” he added.
Supreme Court Upholds "Remain in Mexico" Policy
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Tuesday night that the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end President Trump’s Remain in Mexico program that had partnered with Mexican authorities to stabilize the border by requiring people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The Biden administration simply ended it with no other plan, kneecapped the Border Patrol and created a quasi-open Southern Border that has since been overrun.
A federal judge in Texas had previously ordered the Remain in Mexico program be reinstated. Both he and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused the Biden administration’s request to put the ruling on hold.
So, the Supreme Court ruling requires the Biden administration to make a “good faith effort” to restart the program. However, the administration already essentially ignored a Supreme Court ruling on its eviction ban, so it's hard to know if it will ignore this ruling, too, continue its policy under a different program or obey the ruling.
Supreme Court Ends Biden's Eviction Moratorium
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday night struck down the Biden administration's federal eviction moratorium that was recently extended without congressional approval. In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled to end the pandemic-related eviction freeze as a result of a legal challenge to the policy brought by a coalition of landlords and real estate trade groups. On Aug. 3, the moratorium was extended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite a lack of congressional support. As recently as last week, a federal appeals court ruled the eviction ban could remain in place and the case was subsequently sent to the Supreme Court after a group of Alabama and Georgia landlords fighting the policy filed an emergency motion.
Unity- A Good Reminder
As we approach the 2022 mid-term elections and the 2024 presidential election, and in light of the abject failure of the Biden administration, we know that the very survival of our republic depends on the outcome of those elections. Therefore, we must stay unified. Never lose sight of who our political opponents are… the progressive left Democrats who are taking our country off a cliff with the active help of Big Tech and the old-line national news media. Our fellow Republicans are not the enemy!
ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHLEY MOODY
Warning of Malware that Drains Cellphone Batteries and Bank Accounts
Attorney General Moody is warning consumers about a new malware attack that targets mobile phone users. Accidentally downloading this malware gives scammers the ability to steal sensitive information—including mobile payment app logins, banking credentials and remote control of a target’s phone.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This pandemic has changed the way we send and receive money—moving more of these transactions online and increasing the popularity of mobile payment apps. This opens the door wider to hackers, phishing scammers and vicious malware attackers. Unknowingly falling for their traps could lead to devastating financial losses.” More.
CONGRESSMAN BILL POSEY
Border Security Update
Tucker Carlson aired a segment on the letter I sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas highlighting the need to immediately enhance U.S. border security due to the rising threats posed by the release of thousands of Afghan prisoners – many of them al-Qaeda members.
I am deeply concerned over the security risks to the American people due to the failure of the Biden Administration to secure our border and the utter chaos that has developed in Afghanistan. We must not lose sight of our vulnerable southern border where thousands cross each day undetected.
You can read our letter to DHS Secretary here. We are looking for, and will hold this Administration accountable, to provide concrete steps to rectify this vulnerability.
Protecting the American people from enemies foreign and domestic is our sworn duty, and I am committed to doing everything I can to fulfill that commitment.
