G - POLITICS & FAITH
G-Files: |
Matt Gaetz |
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Brandon Gill |
Rudy Giuliani |
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Tony Gonzalez |
Al Gore |
Neil Gorsuch |
Marjorie Taylor Greene |
Michelle Lujan Grisham |
Michael Guest |
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==matt gaetz======
Matt Gaetz
Matt Gaetz is a former Republican U.S. Representative who represented Florida's 1st congressional district from 2017 until his resignation on November 13, 2024. He is a prominent ally of Donald Trump and was briefly nominated to serve as the U.S. Attorney General in November 2024 before withdrawing from consideration amid intense scrutiny. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gaetz for Attorney General on November 13, 2024. However, Gaetz withdrew just eight days later on November 21, citing a desire to avoid becoming a distraction to the incoming administration. Gaetz resigned his House seat immediately following his nomination in November 2024 and subsequently declined to take his seat for the 119th Congress after his re-election. In December 2024, the House Ethics Committee released a report finding "substantial evidence" that Gaetz had violated House rules and potentially state laws. The report detailed allegations of: Sexual Misconduct: Including regularly paying for sex and an encounter with a 17-year-old girl in 2017. Allegations of illegal drug use (including ecstasy and cocaine) and possession during his tenure. The committee accused Gaetz of willfully seeking to impede their investigation. Gaetz has consistently denied all criminal allegations, describing his past conduct as "embarrassing" but not illegal, and dismissing the ethics report as a "smear". Before entering Congress, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016. He holds a B.S. from Florida State University (2003) and a J.D. from William & Mary Law School (2007). A self-described "libertarian populist," Gaetz is known for his far-right views and played a pivotal role in the October 2023 ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Since leaving office, Gaetz has remained a fixture in Washington politics and has hinted at a potential run for Florida Governor in 2026
Right-Wing Christian Groups Back CO Congressman Buck and Others Who Ousted House Speaker
“Pro-family” groups support seven of the eight far-right Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who made history Oct. 3 by voting to remove Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in a 216-210 vote. Both Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge against McCarthy, and Andy Biggs of Arizona have received the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award for their “perfect voting records” on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights that make up the political agenda of FRC, which was founded and is aligned with Focus on the Family. (Steve Rabey/Colorado Times Recorder 10/6/23) Read More>>>>>
“Pro-family” groups support seven of the eight far-right Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who made history Oct. 3 by voting to remove Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in a 216-210 vote. Both Matt Gaetz of Florida, who led the charge against McCarthy, and Andy Biggs of Arizona have received the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award for their “perfect voting records” on issues including abortion and LGBTQ rights that make up the political agenda of FRC, which was founded and is aligned with Focus on the Family. (Steve Rabey/Colorado Times Recorder 10/6/23) Read More>>>>>
Heather Cox Richardson
The rejection of democracy in favor of Christian authoritarianism at the highest levels of our government is an astonishing outcome of the attempt to prevent another Great Depression by creating a government that worked for ordinary Americans rather than a few wealthy men. But here we are. After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.”
--Heather Cox Richardson; Milwaukee Independent
==brandon gill======
Brandon Gill is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 26th Congressional District in the 119th United States Congress. Sworn into office on January 3, 2025, he is currently the youngest sitting House Republican.Key Political ProfileParty Affiliation: Republican.District Territory: Covers North Texas, including Cooke County and parts of Denton and Wise counties.Committee Assignments: Serves on the House Judiciary, Budget, and Oversight Committees. He chairs the Oversight Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses. He serves on the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) Subcommittee. He is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.Background and Career. Gill was raised on a West Texas cattle ranch and graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College with degrees in Economics and History. He worked as an investment banker on Wall Street and an analyst at a hedge fund. He founded the conservative news outlet DC Enquirer. He is arried to conservative author Danielle D'Souza, daughter of Dinesh D'Souza. Gill introduced the REMAIN in Mexico Act to codify Trump-era border protections. Gill sponsored the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act to block federal aid to non-compliant cities. Gill filed articles of impeachment against District Judge James E. Boasberg over border policy rulings. He authored the LAND Act to ban foreign adversaries from purchasing American farmland. Constituents can monitor his voting record and office locations on the official Representative Brandon Gill House Website or track legislative actions through Congress.gov. He is up for reelection in the November 3, 2026, general election after advancing from the Republican primary
"If we want to preserve America, the country that we know and love, our constitutional order, we have to wake up and realize that mass Islamic immigration is incredibly harmful. What we don't want to see is the American way of life fundamentally transformed because you have Islamic pressure on our legal system. We can be politically correct about it, or we can wake up and we can defend our country. You've got parts of Paris or London that no longer look Parisian or English anymore. You've got areas in both of those cities that are no-go zones for native Parisians or native Londoners. That is a problem. What we don't want to see is parallel legal institutions popping up in the United States, which they are, in the same way that you have in Europe." -Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas to journalist Erick Stakelbeck 1.18.26
==rudy giuliani======
December 16, 2023
 Zorek Richards
After losing his case against the Georgia election workers, Rudy Giuliani said he doesn’t care if he lost all his money because money is the root of all evil and he is proud that he stood on principle and his dad and Jesus Christ are proud of him. It's "love of money is the root of all evil" not just money. I've never heard anyone say Jesus is proud of themselves. He made his choices...He is not hardly even a shell of what he was in 2001. It would be great if one of them would have a "come to Jesus" moment...and just confess everything but years and years of voluntary brainwashing has done a lot of damage to their psyche. Being deceived can happen to the best of us...being self-deceived is a road seldom reversed.
Money and Success don't change people. They merely amplify what is already there. A 2007 Pew Research poll indicated that people did not seen Giuliani as "highly religious." Joy Reid (MSNBC) pointed to Giuliani owing over $500,000 in unpaid taxes, the IRS putting a lien on his property in Palm Beach, having a New York apartment on the market for $6 million and his consulting firm defaulting on a debt for a phone bill. Von Dubose, an attorney for the election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss – how they were going to collect the money from Giuliani. “We’ve already put the pieces in motion for that. We are intending to collect every nickel of it,” Dubose said. "We’ll see how much we ultimately find and how much we ultimately recover. But we are putting the pieces together right now.” |
Money and Success don't change people. They merely amplify what is already there. |
==tony gonzalez======
April 15, 2026:
RANDOM NOTES & BYTES
Zorek
Tony Gonzalez (RC) and Eric Swalwell (D) are resigning. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick(D) under scrutiny for misuse of pandemic relief funds, and Corey Mills (R) faces ethics investigation related to sexual assault.
I hope there are investigations which will sweep through ALL of Congress AND the Trump administration (including Trump (#EpsteinFiles ) continues ....I am inclined to think that there are a lot of politicians who have been put in positions of authority...and with their sense of power the temptation toward corruption is larger because of access to lots of money and people in powerful places. Things like insider trading seems to be a common thing most people know about but do nothing to stop it. The ability to raise millions of dollars through PACs and Congressmen being bought and paid for by rich donors. Congress needs to investigate its own members. Having congressmen or the Trump admin charge government organizations (SNAP, SS..and others) need to look at themselves first. Reminds of the words of Jesus Christ who said "How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
I hope there are investigations which will sweep through ALL of Congress AND the Trump administration (including Trump (#EpsteinFiles ) continues ....I am inclined to think that there are a lot of politicians who have been put in positions of authority...and with their sense of power the temptation toward corruption is larger because of access to lots of money and people in powerful places. Things like insider trading seems to be a common thing most people know about but do nothing to stop it. The ability to raise millions of dollars through PACs and Congressmen being bought and paid for by rich donors. Congress needs to investigate its own members. Having congressmen or the Trump admin charge government organizations (SNAP, SS..and others) need to look at themselves first. Reminds of the words of Jesus Christ who said "How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
==al gore======
“I’m so troubled, always, when I see people who are sure that they know exactly what God’s plan for the world is, what political party God belongs to, what God’s ideology is, and what God’s position on particular cases and controversies might be.” --Al Gore, VP, statement to civil liberties and religious leaders July 14, 1994
==neil gorsuch======
The Theological Debate around the Declaration of Independence
On July 4th this year, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The document is a snapshot of the philosophical values embodied in our government. Moreover, if we are a creedal nation, as Justice Neil Gorsuch recently asserted, the Declaration is the prime candidate for our creed. Abraham Lincoln claimed, “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.” His Gettysburg address would frame the Civil War as a struggle to more fully embody its values. So too would the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Yet 250 years on, we find post-liberals and Christian Nationalists are questioning the liberalism enshrined in the Declaration—the assertion that the ultimate purpose of government is to safeguard life, liberty, and property and revolutions are a justifiable means to do so. While this challenge raises concerns, it is helpful to remember that the Declaration itself was the product of centuries of theological debate among Christians, and that not all Americans initially affirmed its values. Historically, Christians broadly believed they were obligated to submit to authorities (both political and spiritual) unless commanded to do something sinful. Passages like Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 were cited as proof texts. Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation challenged this view. If a Pope could be defied, what about a king? German peasants thought so and rebelled, but their actions were sharply condemned by Luther and violently suppressed. The question lingered, however, in large part because the Reformation had split Europe into warring factions of Catholics and Protestants. Each side condemned the other as heretics. (Providence Magazine 7.4.26)READMORE>>>>>>
On July 4th this year, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The document is a snapshot of the philosophical values embodied in our government. Moreover, if we are a creedal nation, as Justice Neil Gorsuch recently asserted, the Declaration is the prime candidate for our creed. Abraham Lincoln claimed, “I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.” His Gettysburg address would frame the Civil War as a struggle to more fully embody its values. So too would the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Yet 250 years on, we find post-liberals and Christian Nationalists are questioning the liberalism enshrined in the Declaration—the assertion that the ultimate purpose of government is to safeguard life, liberty, and property and revolutions are a justifiable means to do so. While this challenge raises concerns, it is helpful to remember that the Declaration itself was the product of centuries of theological debate among Christians, and that not all Americans initially affirmed its values. Historically, Christians broadly believed they were obligated to submit to authorities (both political and spiritual) unless commanded to do something sinful. Passages like Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 were cited as proof texts. Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation challenged this view. If a Pope could be defied, what about a king? German peasants thought so and rebelled, but their actions were sharply condemned by Luther and violently suppressed. The question lingered, however, in large part because the Reformation had split Europe into warring factions of Catholics and Protestants. Each side condemned the other as heretics. (Providence Magazine 7.4.26)READMORE>>>>>>
==marjorie Taylor Greene======
Marjorie Taylor Greene questions Mike Johnson’s Christianity as she calls GOP leaders 'terrified cowards'
The former Georgia Congresswoman appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown to talk about the ceasefire deal in Iran and why the president's behavior is "absolute madness."Blitzer said to Greene, “We really didn't hear the Republican leadership respond to President Trump’s threat to eliminate an entire civilization. We did, however, see many democrats join you in calling for President Trump’s removal from office.” He then asked what she made of the situation.
(Irish Star; 4.9.26)READMORE>>>>>>
The former Georgia Congresswoman appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown to talk about the ceasefire deal in Iran and why the president's behavior is "absolute madness."Blitzer said to Greene, “We really didn't hear the Republican leadership respond to President Trump’s threat to eliminate an entire civilization. We did, however, see many democrats join you in calling for President Trump’s removal from office.” He then asked what she made of the situation.
(Irish Star; 4.9.26)READMORE>>>>>>
What will MAGA Christianity look like in a post-Trump world?
When Donald Trump read the political tea leaves and urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, speculation was rampant. Did this mean Trump’s hold over the GOP was beginning to weaken? Or was his Department of Justice hatching a secret plan to keep the most damning documents out of the public view? Was Marjorie Taylor Greene the first rat to flee a sinking ship, or did her departure demonstrate the futility of questioning the big man? How will Trump’s Christian base react if the Epstein files reveal the president was fully aware of his old friend’s elaborate sex trafficking network? Or, if Trump’s DOJ holds back the bulk of the Epstein material in its possession, will MAGA Christians walk away from their leader?
. (Baptist News Global; 12/11/25) READMORE>>>>>
When Donald Trump read the political tea leaves and urged House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files, speculation was rampant. Did this mean Trump’s hold over the GOP was beginning to weaken? Or was his Department of Justice hatching a secret plan to keep the most damning documents out of the public view? Was Marjorie Taylor Greene the first rat to flee a sinking ship, or did her departure demonstrate the futility of questioning the big man? How will Trump’s Christian base react if the Epstein files reveal the president was fully aware of his old friend’s elaborate sex trafficking network? Or, if Trump’s DOJ holds back the bulk of the Epstein material in its possession, will MAGA Christians walk away from their leader?
. (Baptist News Global; 12/11/25) READMORE>>>>>
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Johnson’s election to House Speaker shows how normalized such beliefs have become, said Amanda Tyler, the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for a strong wall between government and religion. She noted that some Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, have embraced the title of Christian nationalist in recent years. Tyler said that Johnson’s views are particularly concerning because of his background as both a Southern Baptist and as a constitutional lawyer. Baptists, she noted, have a long history of advocacy for strong church-state separations because of the persecution they faced during the country’s founding — a stance that she said Johnson has betrayed throughout his legal and political career “He has worked actively for these principles that further Christian nationalism,” Tyler said. “I am also a Baptist, and to see someone who is a Baptist really reject foundational concepts of religious freedom for all — concepts which are really core to what it means to be a Baptist — is also very disheartening.” (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
Read More>>>>>
Johnson’s election to House Speaker shows how normalized such beliefs have become, said Amanda Tyler, the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for a strong wall between government and religion. She noted that some Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, have embraced the title of Christian nationalist in recent years. Tyler said that Johnson’s views are particularly concerning because of his background as both a Southern Baptist and as a constitutional lawyer. Baptists, she noted, have a long history of advocacy for strong church-state separations because of the persecution they faced during the country’s founding — a stance that she said Johnson has betrayed throughout his legal and political career “He has worked actively for these principles that further Christian nationalism,” Tyler said. “I am also a Baptist, and to see someone who is a Baptist really reject foundational concepts of religious freedom for all — concepts which are really core to what it means to be a Baptist — is also very disheartening.” (Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23)
Read More>>>>>
Marjorie Taylor Greene to right-wing Catholic site: How come "God hasn't destroyed" America?
On the eve of testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent her from running for re-election, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legendary or notorious Georgia Republican, granted an hourlong interview in her home to an unlikely outlet: the far-right Catholic news organization Church Militant, which for years has positioned itself as one of the noisiest and most outlandish partisans in the Roman Catholic Church's ongoing fight with itself. Greene is an evangelical Protestant, not a Catholic, but Church Militant is making the most of this opportunity, and has featured segments of the interview all week, starting with its opening video on Monday, entitled "Marjorie for Pope." In the interview, Greene rehashed old beefs, described herself as a victim of Jan. 6, said the United States is so sinful she doesn't understand "why God hasn't destroyed us" and — most exciting for Church Militant — suggested that Satan is controlling the Catholic Church. (Kathryn Joyce: Salon 4/27/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
On the eve of testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent her from running for re-election, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legendary or notorious Georgia Republican, granted an hourlong interview in her home to an unlikely outlet: the far-right Catholic news organization Church Militant, which for years has positioned itself as one of the noisiest and most outlandish partisans in the Roman Catholic Church's ongoing fight with itself. Greene is an evangelical Protestant, not a Catholic, but Church Militant is making the most of this opportunity, and has featured segments of the interview all week, starting with its opening video on Monday, entitled "Marjorie for Pope." In the interview, Greene rehashed old beefs, described herself as a victim of Jan. 6, said the United States is so sinful she doesn't understand "why God hasn't destroyed us" and — most exciting for Church Militant — suggested that Satan is controlling the Catholic Church. (Kathryn Joyce: Salon 4/27/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
==Michelle Lujan Grisham======
Churches are breaking the law and endorsing in elections, experts say. The IRS looks the other way.
Among the violations the newsrooms identified: In January, an Alaska pastor told his congregation that he was voting for a GOP candidate who is aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, saying the challenger was the “only candidate for Senate that can flat-out preach.” During a May 15 sermon, a pastor in Rocklin, California, asked voters to get behind “a Christian conservative candidate” challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom. And in July, a New Mexico pastor called Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “beyond evil” and “demonic” for supporting abortion access. He urged congregants to “vote her behind right out of office” and challenged the media to call him out for violating the Johnson Amendment.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
Among the violations the newsrooms identified: In January, an Alaska pastor told his congregation that he was voting for a GOP candidate who is aiming to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, saying the challenger was the “only candidate for Senate that can flat-out preach.” During a May 15 sermon, a pastor in Rocklin, California, asked voters to get behind “a Christian conservative candidate” challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom. And in July, a New Mexico pastor called Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham “beyond evil” and “demonic” for supporting abortion access. He urged congregants to “vote her behind right out of office” and challenged the media to call him out for violating the Johnson Amendment.
(Jeremy Schwartz/Texas Tribune 10/30/22)
READ MORE>>>>>
==michael guest======
Women in Congress say a gender gap impedes investigations of sexual harassment
Female lawmakers, with the blessing of both House Republican and Democratic leadership, have been leading the charge to reform the House ethics process following two high-profile resignations over sexual misconduct allegations. Last month, New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, the chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, lamented that “there aren’t enough women representing America” in a press conference with survivors of sexual abuse. The House Ethics Committee — the body that enforces the House’s code of conduct and investigates sexual misconduct allegations — has always been composed mostly of male lawmakers. The 10-person panel, currently chaired by Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), has never had more than four women serving on it at the same time.
(Mississippi Press 6.6.26)READMORE>>>>>>
Female lawmakers, with the blessing of both House Republican and Democratic leadership, have been leading the charge to reform the House ethics process following two high-profile resignations over sexual misconduct allegations. Last month, New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, the chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, lamented that “there aren’t enough women representing America” in a press conference with survivors of sexual abuse. The House Ethics Committee — the body that enforces the House’s code of conduct and investigates sexual misconduct allegations — has always been composed mostly of male lawmakers. The 10-person panel, currently chaired by Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), has never had more than four women serving on it at the same time.
(Mississippi Press 6.6.26)READMORE>>>>>>