The LuLac Edition #5, 591, March 4th, 2026

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

This week we take another look at the SAVE  ACT which is about Voter ID and its implications.  But in US Today, columnist Chris Brennan provides much more information on how it will affect everyday Americans.

VOTER ID LAWS ARE POPULAR. TRUMP MAKING IT HARDER TO VOTE ISN'T. | OPINION

THE SAVE ACT DOES SO MUCH MORE THAN REQUIRE IDENTIFICATION TO VOTE. IT REQUIRES AMERICANS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN KINDS OF PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP TO REGISTER TO VOTE AND WHEN REQUESTING A MAIL BALLOT.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate appear poised to defeat legislation pushed by President Donald Trump that could have made it much harder for millions of Americans to vote.

But that's not enough. Democrats also have to win a messaging war with all voters about the so-called SAVE Act. And right now, the Republicans are winning that battle.

This debate often gets simplified to be called "voter ID," the idea that voters should have to show a valid, government-issued photo identification at polling places before casting a ballot. The U.S. Constitution dictates that states run elections. And 36 states currently have voter ID laws.

Trump couldn't care less about our Constitution. He wants to federalize elections, so he can control the outcomes. And he doesn't care if the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act makes it harder or even impossible for Americans to vote.

The SAVE Act does so much more than require identification to vote. It requires Americans to provide certain kinds of proof of citizenship to register to vote and when requesting a mail ballot.

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That creates unnecessary hurdles. Women who take their husband's last name when marrying would then have identification that doesn't match their birth certificate or passports. Just 48% of Americans even have a passport. And voters in so-called red states are less likely to have passports than voters in blue states or swing states.

There is strong support in public polling for voter ID laws. Trump's White House on Feb. 10 cited two polls from the Pew Research Center and Gallup that showed support at more than 80%.

Those are two reputable organizations. I read both polls. The questions were simple and straightforward about support for voter ID laws. They didn't touch on any of the nuances of how those laws can disenfranchise voters.  That’s the messaging war underway now.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, spent much of the past week acknowledging that his party didn't have the votes to pass what's also known as the SAVE America Act, which passed the House on Feb. 11. Trump, during his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, called Thune out by name when urging the Senate to pass the legislation

 

Trump loaded that call with his standard, easily debunked claims about Democrats cheating in elections, with undocumented people voting and "crooked mail-in ballots." He's been making those kinds of claims for  decades.

Trump has never produced any evidence of widespread voter fraud, maybe because Republicans like the Senate majority leader don't need it. They just swallow and then regurgitate his nonsense.

That's what Thune did the day after Trump's speech, telling Fox News he would hold a vote on the SAVE Act to "put the Democrats on the record" to make them "try and defend allowing noncitizens to vote in American elections." He predicted that would be a difficult vote to defend in November's midterm elections.

Thune is looking to trade a legislative defeat for a messaging win. Democrats should meet the challenge and ask voters why the president and Republicans in Congress want to make it harder for Americans to vote.

Here, the Democrats have an unlikely ally: Trump.

He must know the SAVE Act appears headed to defeat. And Trump fears the Democrats taking control of the House and maybe the Senate too in the midterms, because that would provide oversight for his many abuses of power in his second term. So Trump is now doing what he always does, trying to abuse his power.

The Washington Post on Feb. 26 reported that Trump has previewed a proposed executive order prepared by activists who support him to require voters to present identification to vote in November and to ban mail ballots. Those activists know their audience. Trump recently repeated his calls to federalize elections.

That's the story Democrats have to tell American voters again and again, until it sinks in, that Trump's frequent claims about rampant voter fraud and rigged elections have been vetted and debunked for years.

Context can help demonstrate that the claims are bunk.

Trump complained while campaigning in 2016, while a Democrat held the White House, that the election was rigged. And then he won. Trump's only election loss came in 2020 when he was president and controlled the federal government, which disputed his claims that the election was unfair. Trump whined about rigged elections again in 2024, while a Democrat held the White House. And he won again.

If Democrats are so good at rigging elections, why does Trump win when Democrats are in charge? Democrats need to drill down on that kind of context. Here's some more.

The Heritage Foundation, a far-right think tank that echoes Trump's claims, has a searchable database of confirmed cases of voter fraud from 1982 to 2025. This past week, it listed just 1,620 cases in those 43 years. I found just 100 cases of noncitizens voting and 387 cases of mail-ballot fraud.

For context, nearly 157 million votes were cast in the 2024 presidential election aloneTrump is not the first Republican to make unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud a part of his political identity. I've been writing about this for more than a decade, since the Pennsylvania legislature, controlled by Republicans in 2012, passed voter ID legislation that was signed into law by a Republican governor.

Those same Republicans, when the law was challenged in court, stipulated in front of the judge that they had no proof of alleged voter fraud to offer, despite that supposed threat being the motivation for the legislation.

The judge tossed the law, calling it unconstitutional while noting that it could have disenfranchised "hundreds of thousands" of Pennsylvania voters who lacked the kind of identification mandated in the legislation. That's what Trump and Thune and the Republicans in Congress who back the SAVE Act want to do to America. It's not enough for Democrats to just defeat the legislation. They have to tell the story of why it can never become law.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan.

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 590 March 3rd, 2026

 

TRUMP IRAN WAR:

11

UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS

On Saturday Donald Trump launched a war on Iran. That stoked the fires of a war that has all become too familiar to Americans in the 21rst Century.  Interference in foreign wars that literally don’t concern us. 

The MAGA voters bitched that Ukraine WASN’T THEIR CONCERN. AMERICA GREAT! Now the same whiners and losers support fully this action.

Iran and Iraq has always been a thorn in the side to U.S. Presidents. Let’s start with George Bush 41.

After the Gulf War Bush allowed Sadam Hussain to stay in power. His generals weren’t crazy about it, so too the public. But Bush with his long history of diplomacy as U.N. Ambassador, CIA director,  and Vice President gave him the inkling that getting rid of the dictator would only inflame Iraq.

Years later, his son George W. Bush would declare war on Iraq and Afghanistan after 911. Vice President Dick Cheney said that this new war was based on the fact that Hussein had “weapons of mass destruction”. Sadam was hunted down and executed. What followed was the Taliban and another 1500 soldiers killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The relationship between the two countries is strong in part because both governments are dominated by Shi'ite Muslims. Increasing influence of Tehran in Iraqi politics has led to civilians protesting the foreign involvement and presence of Iran-backed militias harassing and attacking citizens.

When Barack Obama was President, it was evident that Iran was trying to build an atomic bomb. Nearly 10 years ago, the United States and other world powers reached a landmark nuclear agreement with Iran.

Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the deal followed two years of negotiations. Then-President Barack Obama, who campaigned on resolving the Iranian nuclear threat, called the issue the "most consequential foreign policy debate that our country has had since the invasion of Iraq."

There was blowback after the United States gave Iran billions of dollars to stay on the straight and narrow.  The GOP war hawks and ignorant people cried, “Why are we giving money to Iran? It’s our hard earned tax payer money!” UH NO IT WASN’T. It was THEIR own money from sanctions put on by the U.S.

The Obama administration and an independent entity kept tabs on the country and it appeared the government was keeping its promise.

 

THEN CAME THE GREAT

BLOVIATING BULLFIGHTER  

 Two years after the deal went into effect, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear accord, in one of the most significant foreign policy actions during his first term as president. I can’t believe that Trump would do this if a white person was President.

Since Trump backed out of that deal, In recent years, Iran has rapidly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. As of mid-June 2025, shortly before the U.S.'s strikes that month, Iran had enriched some 972 pounds of uranium up to 60% purity, according to estimates from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

By comparison, Iran had 605.8 pounds of 60%-enriched uranium in February 2025, and 267.9 pounds a year before that, the IAEA has said. According to the U.N. watchdog's metrics, about 92.5 pounds of 60%-enriched uranium is enough to build a single nuclear weapon if enriched further.

With the Nuclear accord scotched by Trump, all guardrails were off. Trump  imposed a new round of harsh sanctions, dubbing it a "maximum pressure" campaign to force Iran to negotiate a new agreement.

 

Efforts by the Biden administration and European parties to the JCPOA to revive the deal were unsuccessful.

Since then, Iran has stopped abiding by the terms of that agreement, dramatically ramping up its uranium enrichment program, including by enriching uranium to 60% purity for the first time.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency estimated last May that it would take Iran "probably less than one week" to produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make its first bomb, if it decided to do so. Actually building a bomb could take somewhat longer. What's not clear, however, is whether Iran has made the decision to build a nuclear weapon. Iran is believed to have halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, and the U.S. intelligence community assessed last spring that the program hadn't restarted.

Asked on Feb. 18 whether the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency had seen any indication that Iran might currently be working to develop a nuclear weapon, the agency's director-general Rafael Grossi told a French television network it had not.

Trump bombed Itan in June of ’25 and said it “demolished” all capabilities. Iran and the United States had negotiations and on Thursday it seemed things were moving in a good direction. Then Trump invaded still another country.

Here’s why it’s not a good idea.

1.          This is the same guy who said “no more wars of regime change” America first. Well Americans FIRST need Health Care, Medicaid, Lower consumer prices, and a Presidency that is normal.

2.          There was no plan to contact allies. As an example Quatar that hit planes in friendly fire. To date there are only 3 allies in Trump’s corner.  Plus if I were in charge there, I'd repossess the plane they gifted hm. 

3.          Congress was not informed. The Constitution reads that Congress declares war. While Trump and his chest thumpers talk about how great America is at it’s  250^th birthday, maybe they should read the Constitution.

4.          I think this is a war of pique. Personal display of power. You didn’t give me the Peace prize? I’ll show you guys.

5.          Men and what is left of women in the military will be KILLED. Air strikes won’t kill whatever philosophy they have against the United States.

6.          Hedgehogg said today that this is an opportunity for the Iranian people take control of their government. Exactly how? They have no weapons and the temporary sugar high after the death of the Ayatollah isn’t going g to last. Hey I have an idea! Why not send all those $100,000 pick up truck driving loud mouth Trump flag bearing MAGA men over there to help them form the new government.

7.          Terrorism will be more prevalent now more than ever in the United States. There are sleeper cells that are constantly looking to take out OUR leaders.

8.          There WILL be higher gas prices which has been the rallying cry of Trump economics. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint for seaborne oil that Iran has long used as a geopolitical bargaining chip, with Tehran repeatedly threatening to close it during times of crisis.

9.          With tariffs, what is now fast becoming a failed Presidency and a group of Trumpanzees that will follow him to hell, there are cracks in the base which will only make this man child President mire unstable.

Give credit to Buhs 41 and 43, when they sent the country to war they had one message they stuck to. 41: get the hell out of Kuwait. Bush 43 weapons of mass destruction. Yesterday the administration had more than 3 different reasons and the President had the demeanor of "Holy shit, look what I've done!" 

10.      Then there’s Ukraine. Why isn’t Trump as gung ho about protecting Ukraine?  He has no idea that his butt boy Putin is an even bigger danger to the USA than the Iranians!!!

11.      Finally this. When they tell you that there will be no ground troops involved, no long term wars, remember this historical fact. In the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein launched an invasion of Iran over border disputes and a desire to gain control of oil-rich areas in Iran's territory.

The conflict lasted for eight years and ended in a stalemate.

Do we REALLY want that?

Iran later opposed the American-led coalition against Iraq in 1991.

We as a nation haven’t learned a thing, Sadly and perhaps tragically, the custodians of yesterday  and their failures haven’t made an impression on this woefully prepared administration. Repeating bad history can be summed up by Cicero. “Any man is liable to err, only a fool persists in error.” (CBS News, ABC News, George H.W. Bush archives, AP, LuLac and Marcus Tullius Cicero)

The LuLac Edition #5, 589, March 2nd, 2026

 MONDAY MEMES 

HARRY TRUMAN 

The LuLac Edition #5, 588, March 1st, 2026

 

FOOD-TASTIC 

NEWS

DUNKIN’S BIG 

CUP OF J AVA

Dunkin’ is testing 48-ounce “bucket” versions of its iced coffee and Refresher drinks at select locations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, priced between $7 and $10.

The oversized drinks have quickly sold out in several stores, suggesting strong early demand for the social media–ready format.

Inspired by last summer’s viral “coffee bucket” trend, the test could make Dunkin’ the first national chain to scale the concept if successful. The oversized plastic tubs, which come with carrying handles, are currently being tested in fewer than 10 stores. 

 

BURGER KING

REPURPOSES THE HERITAGE WHOPPER

 

Burger King has spent the better part of three years considering how it could elevate the Whopper. And two of those, brand president Tom Curtis says, were figuring out what it better not do.

The Whopper is a burger with nearly 70 years of equity, having entered the arena in 1957 for 37 cents. So, it had to strike the “right magnitude of adjustments.”

“You want to treat the Whopper like it’s a super model,” he says. “And you want to put them in tuxedo. You don’t want to put them in a leisure suit.”

Burger King on Thursday announced “elevations,” not “changes,” to one of fast-food’s most iconic items—the first updates in nearly 10 years. This round, like many adjustments of late for the chain, were inspired by guest feedback. Curtis, who recently shared his phone number to hear directly from customers (more on this later), has been gathering feedback on the Whopper for years through a “listening campaign” that started when he arrived in 2021 after more than three decades with Domino’s.

It began as granular as asking leadership to wear Burger King logos so they could hear from people in restaurants, airports, and everywhere in between.

Curtis says Burger King wanted to elevate the Whopper “for a while,” but it’s a delicate process. They tested tweaks and moved deliberately. “The combination of ingredients is pretty well revered,” he says.

What Burger King landed on and finalized Thursday boils down to enhancing points that don’t concern the flame-grilled beef itself. And that complement the fact, Curtis says, the brand tops the Whopper with daily fresh-cut vegetables, like tomatoes, onions, and pickles.

This materialized threefold: Burger King customers suggested the bun could use improvement. Sometimes it showed up smushed. Sesame seeds were falling off.

Secondly, they wanted creamier mayonnaise.

Lastly, and in line with the bun, the packaging could use a fresh look.

Burger King discovered the right approach about a year ago and set out to measure response.

“When you bite into it,” Curtis says, “you’ll get everything that you love about a Whopper.”

I love the Whopper but have curtailed my consumption to get Junior Whoppers at the 2 for 5 maybe twice a year. Back in the fat old days, I used to love cold whoppers too. 

So you can bet I’ll try the new one, even if I eat it in increments.(AP, LuLac)