Electric Grid Vulnerability, Open Primary Constitutionality, and Republican Candidate Training

On September 22, 2021, Kim Monson examines threats to American infrastructure and electoral integrity with grid security expert Michael Mabee revealing alarming vulnerabilities in the nation’s electric grid, former state Senator Kevin Lundberg reporting on the Republican Party’s unanimous vote to challenge Colorado’s open primary law, and Casper Stockham discussing his America First Republicans candidate training program.

America’s Electric Grid Under Threat

Start listening at 33:07 – Hour 1

Michael Mabee, author of “The Civil Defense Book” and decorated 9/11 first responder, explains critical vulnerabilities in America’s electric grid. Mabee states that the electric grid is the life support system enabling 330 million Americans to survive, with every critical infrastructure sector depending on it.

Mabee reveals that for decades, the federal government has known the grid is susceptible to cyber attacks, physical attacks, electromagnetic pulses, and solar weather events, yet relatively little has been done to address these threats. He points to the February 2021 Texas blackout as evidence of systemic failures, noting that 210 deaths occurred and that identical failures happened in 2011 and 1989 without adequate corrective action.

The discussion turns to the influence of electric utility lobbying. Mabee documents that in the last decade, the industry has spent $1.2 billion lobbying the federal government and over $150 million in political contributions. He reveals that the U.S. has installed 366 large Chinese transformers onto a grid that Chinese hackers are already targeting, with no requirement to check this equipment for security vulnerabilities.

“So the bottom line is, we are importing equipment from the People’s Republic of China and installing it onto the electric grid that the Chinese are already hacking. What could possibly go wrong?”

– Michael Mabee, Grid Security Expert and Author

Challenging Colorado’s Open Primary Law

Start listening at 18:08 – Hour 1

Kevin Lundberg, former Colorado state senator and executive director of the Republican Study Committee of Colorado, reports on a significant development from the previous weekend’s Republican Central Committee meeting in Pueblo. Lundberg explains that Proposition 108, passed in 2016, forces parties into an open primary system where unaffiliated voters receive ballots for both parties.

Lundberg notes that more ballots are now sent to non-Republicans than Republicans in Republican primaries, dramatically increasing campaign costs and altering the nomination process. The state Central Committee rejected the “opt-out” provision requiring 75% approval, which Lundberg describes as a ridiculously high standard. Instead, the committee voted unanimously to challenge the entire law’s constitutionality in federal court, citing a 2000 Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar California law.

“The open primary means that all unaffiliated voters are sent a ballot for both the Republicans and the Democrats, and then they have a choice of voting for either ballot, not both, but one or the other.”

– Kevin Lundberg, Former Colorado State Senator

Training Constitutional Republican Candidates

Start listening at 10:41 – Hour 1

Casper Stockham, founder of America First Republicans, discusses his candidate training program launched in January 2021. Stockham explains that while Democrat training programs like Emerge have been operating for 10 to 15 years and require candidates to abide by socialist practices, his program trains candidates on the Constitution and the Republican Party platform.

The nine-week Saturday program costs $180 and has already trained about 50 candidates. Stockham notes that by the end of the training, participants become virtual candidates and know whether they want to pursue actual candidacy or support others. The program addresses a critical gap Kim identifies: good people stepping forward to run for school board and other offices without the training and infrastructure needed to succeed against well-organized progressive opposition.

“Candidates that come out of their training must abide by socialist practices and things like that. We are training candidates on something very, very unique, the Constitution and the Republican Party platform.”

– Casper Stockham, Founder, America First Republicans