Time to Turn BLACKMAIL into BACKMAIL
by Todd Baumann
We must stop trying to rise above the fray and implement a Street Fight Strategy.
Corrupt Senators long ago turned nomination hearings into political theater. They don’t care about qualifications. They often deploy smear tactics and personal attacks to derail appointments, leaving careers and reputations in ruins. These Senators don’t care about substantive policy disagreements. They are driven by power plays, political expediency, usually via sensationalized sex scandals, and most important, protecting themselves.
In response, nominees must adopt a Street Fight strategy—one that touches the “third rails” of politics and metaphorically “throws chairs” when necessary.
The Dark Arts of Washington
Washington, D.C., operates on a shadowy currency of influence, secrets, and blackmail. This reality is an open secret, understood by insiders but rarely acknowledged publicly. Politicians and their staffers are aware of each other’s skeletons. Yet these revelations surface only when it becomes politically advantageous. It’s mutually assured blackmail, or MAB.
Trump’s nominees must start threatening to use blackmail in response—Backmail, if you will.
Honeypots
Take the recent case of Matt Gaetz’s nomination for Attorney General under Donald Trump. The mainstream media and Senate staffers forced Gaetz to withdraw following accusations involving a 17-year-old girl. Yet, evidence suggests nefarious actors set him up in a honey pot operation where the minor reportedly had a falsified ID that misrepresented her age. Every member of the Senate knows the truth. Gaetz bowed out instead of going on offense, allowing the scandal to overshadow the truth. He also gave more oxygen to the blackmail playbook. This episode underscores a critical point: nominees must refuse to be victims of Washington’s ruthless smear campaigns. They must fight back and expose the system’s criminal tactics.
Speaking of honeypot operations, former congressman Matt Cawthorn claimed attractive females invited him to an orgy, shortly after arriving in Washington. Cawthorn further stated there is an abundance of sexual perversion and cocaine use in our nation’s Capital. Republican congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN) believes that several Republican members of Congress are compromised by similar operations.
Consider Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham. For years, rumors have swirled that Graham is a closet homosexual. If true, it’s an open secret that plenty of people know about in Washington. It also makes him compromised. Yet, no one confronts him. If the charge is true, nominees should threaten Graham with making it public if he is not willing to vote in favor of their confirmation. That’s not blackmail; it’s backmail.
Touching the Third Rail
The term “third rail of politics” refers to topics so contentious they are considered untouchable. But sometimes, touching these electrified issues is not only necessary—it is the only path to genuine accountability. A nominee willing to broach such topics demonstrates not only courage but also a commitment to uncovering truths that corrupt, unnamed officials deliberately suppress.
Consider Kash Patel, Trump’s FBI Director nominee. In a recent interview, Patel revealed that the Jeffrey Epstein client list—containing names of powerful individuals implicated in abhorrent crimes—remains in the FBI Director’s custody; that would be Christopher Wray. Wray is protecting criminals. Kash said he would release the list as Wray’s replacement. This list would shock the political establishment to its core, but it would also serve justice to Epstein’s victims and demonstrate a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, regardless of how high it reaches.
If the Senate confirms him, Patel could use his authority to make this information public, forcing accountability upon those who have evaded it for years. Kash must do this to protect and hopefully restore our republic. Is it possible that some Senators will vote against Patel because he might release the list? Possibly. Kash was on the inside, and he knows where plenty of bodies are buried; he should threaten to dig them up if he’s not confirmed. It’s possible the Epstein list is small potatoes by comparison.
Throwing Chairs: Turning Rhetoric into Action
Political theater during congressional hearings is a well-worn trope. Senators pontificate, subjects deflect, and ultimately, nothing of substance transpires; no one pays any price. It’s professional wrestling, (where they do throw chairs). Consider the infamous moment on Geraldo Rivera’s show when a debate erupted into chaos, culminating in a flying chair that broke Rivera’s nose. It symbolized action—something sorely lacking in today’s political landscape.
Nominees, once confirmed, must “throw chairs” by translating rhetoric into tangible action. For example, an Attorney General willing to take aggressive steps could prioritize indictments against individuals implicated in public corruption, espionage, or abuses of power. The AG should aggressively pursue cases where corrupt officials have buried evidence, sending a clear message that accountability is not optional.
Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, could exemplify this approach. If equipped with evidence from Patel’s hypothetical release of the Epstein client list, Bondi could launch investigations and prosecutions that would resonate across the political spectrum. Such actions would not only restore faith in the rule of law but also serve as a stark warning to those who operate above it.
Breaking the Cycle
The new administration must put an end to the pattern of smearing and withdrawing nominees. Unfortunately, those nominees must take the lead. For every qualified nominee forced to step aside, an opportunity is lost to confront the deeper rot within the system. This requires a fundamental shift in how nominees approach their confirmations.
- Refuse to Back Down: Nominees must steadfastly defend their records and expose the motives behind baseless attacks. When opponents deploy smear campaigns, nominees should respond with evidence, ensuring the public understands the context.
- Leverage Open Secrets: The hypocrisy of Washington’s elite thrives on a culture of silence. Nominees can break this cycle by strategically leveraging the “open secrets” that are widely known but rarely exposed. In many cases, the sins of Senators and their staffers far surpass anything a nominee may have done. Remember the Senate staffer who filmed himself having homosexual sex in a Senate Hearing Room?
- Commit to Transparency: Once the Senate confirms them, nominees should prioritize transparency in their roles, whether by declassifying sensitive documents, pursuing high-profile cases, or reforming institutions to prevent future abuses.
- Engage the Public: The American people thirst for justice. Nominees who communicate directly with the public about their goals and challenges can build a base of support that insulates them from political attacks.
Turn Blackmail into Backmail
Washington, D.C., is a city built on compromise, but not all compromises are created equal. Compromise is a bad word, not a good one. Compromised Senators will offer fierce resistance to any nominee who threatens to expose them. Nominees must not retreat in the face of opposition because it doesn’t just perpetuate the status quo; it reinforces the blackmail tactics.
Nominees must embrace a bold, unapologetic approach that involves touching the third rails and throwing chairs to disrupt the entrenched power structures. This means fighting back against blackmail with BACKMAIL.
The stakes are too high for timidity. It is time for a new breed of leaders to emerge—leaders who are willing to risk political fallout to serve the greater good.
Let the chairs fly.
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