PUTIN THE GREAT

All the Czars and all the Commissars combined could not advance the Russian Empire as much as Putin has without even having to fire a shot.  Turkey, which stopped the southern expansion of the Russian Empire, is now firmly within the Russian orbit, and Russia has become THE Player in the Middle East,  A warm-water port, the golden aim of the Tsars?  Putin not only has annexed Crimea but has a naval base in Syria as well as numerous former U.S. airbases.  He has decimated the most powerful and potent Foreign Service, theU.S. State Department, that the world had ever seen, all without having a single Russian casualty.

NOT JUST OBAMA!

My Republican friends vigorously react to my allegation that their insistence that Obama reduce unemployment at the same time he reduced the budget deficit was racist in any way.  They say that my allegation that their lauding Trump for a hot economy at a time of exploding deficits was an example of white privilege is incorrect and they would have required the same thing of any black in the Oval Office, not just Obama!

HOW DO YOU REFER TO SOMEONE?

How do you refer to someone who was impeached but has not been yet been tried in the Senate?  Certainly not "exonerated" or absolved.  That person is referred to, as is a person who is under indictment as one who   is awaiting trial

COULD IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH OPTICS?

If Republicans are O.K. with having a trial without witnesses why are they not O.K with having a trial without Articles of Impeachment?  Could it have anything to do with optics/

ALL CITIZENS WHOULD KNOW

All U.S. citizens should know, when faced with a Senate majority leader, who, like Mitch McConnell,  refuses to bring legislative bills to the floor for votes as required by the Constitution, who sits on judicial nominations without allowing them to be acted upon and seeks to establish the rules of a Constitutionally mandated trial. is arrogating powers extra- Constitutionally.  The office of Senate majority Leader does not exist in the Constitution

PUTIN'S FOLLY

In the halls of the Kremlin, they called it Putin's Folly.  There weren't enough rubles in all of Russia to buy an American President.  Putin just smiled and continued to buy Deutschmarks which he converted to dollars and proved them all wrong. 

ANOTHER MASSIVE TRANSFER OF WEALTH

Trump's tariffs have caused another massive transfer of wealth to the wealthy.  The tariffs are paid by the importer who passes it on to the consumers through increased prices.  The increased revenue experienced by the Government doesn't last long, it is passed on to growers to compensate for lost markets owing to retaliation for high tariffs imposed on consumer items.  Note that it is not the Chinese who are paying the tariffs, it is the American public footing the bill.  Most of the recipients of compensation for not growing crops are corporate Agribusiness and not small farmers which continue to go into bankruptcy at a high rate. 

THINGS I'D LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT BURISMA.

I keep hearing, from Republicans, of how concerned Trump was about corruption in Ukraine, because of BURISMA  hiring Hunter Biden to be a member of its Board.  Trump was in office for 60% of the time Hunter was serving on that Board but never showed the slightest concern until his father decided to run for office, in 2019 five years after.   How come Trump was unconcerned when Paul Ryan was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or when Bill Barr became head of the DOJ?  

CELL PHONES ARE TIME SAVERS!

Donald Trump is honestly puzzled at the fuss that some people make over his use of an unsecured cell phone to conduct government business.  The fact that the practice spares him from the chore of having to make reports to his handler, thus freeing up  time to perfect his golf game, seems to be lost on his critics

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

The Republican Party, will, if as expected, acquit Trump, in the Senate, after impeachment, be carrying the can for Trump's behavior, in 2020.

-What are the odds that Trump will not embarrass us again with another impeachable offense? 

-What are the odds that Putin will not call in some chips and force Trump to take some action against the interests of the United States?

-What are the odds that the trillion-dollar annual deficits that Trump is running will not so distort the financial markets that another severe financial crisis will not befall us?

I wonder if there is such a thing as Gambler's Anonymous for political parties?

NAMES THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY

It takes by the finding of guilty on but a single count to remove a President from office, no matter how many counts are being charged.  While many counts facing Donald Trump are alleged to have taken place behind the doors of the White House, there is one count, upon which if impeached, was committed in public in full view of the People, and that is "obstruction of Congress".  Trump publicly ordered all employees of the Executive branch to ignore subpoenas and forbad them to turn over the documents.  If Senate Republicans acquit Trump on this count, their names will live in infamy. 

THE RISK THE REPUBLICANS TAKE

In all likelihood, Trump will be impeached, by the Democrats in November and will be acquitted by the Republicans either in December or January.   The Republicans will be assuming responsibility for any additional craziness of Trump during the year leading up to the elections.  During the past 3 years, Trump has demonstrated a propensity for getting into trouble and there has been no indication that he has learned anything from experience on the job.

Should the electorate tire of Trump's antics or war, economic or otherwise, break out, or the economy takes a downturn, it will be remembered that the Republicans had the opportunity to remove trump but didn't do it for political reasons.  It's a gamble the Republicans are making; I hope they lose.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

An aim of the plot to extort the newly-elected president of Ukraine was to exonerate the Russians from th.eir involvement in the 2016 elections by forcing Ukraine to "take the rap" for the Capo di Capo of the Russian Mafia, namely Vladamir Putin.

What makes the cabal so egregious, so malevolent, so insidious can be demonstrated by imagining the position of Ukraine had they not been saved, at the last minute, by a whistleblower who scared the Trump Administration into mending their ways.  Ukraine would have gained the enmity of the Democrats in the U.S., for many years while at the same time they would get no brownie points from Putin or his underboss, Donald Trump.  In all likelihood, a Ukraine independent of the Russian Empire would have become unlikely.

WHY??

The first day of hearings did nothing to assuage my curiosity as to why, in the name of God, Republicans are so anxious to learn the name of the whistleblower.  If it were not for the whistleblower, Trump would have withheld funds from Ukraine and their President would have instigated investigations into the Bidens and the 2016 elections. thus eliminating the Republicans chief reason for not removing him from office since within 48 hours of learning that the cat was out of the bag, Ukraine received their military aid.

The whistleblower cannot do anything more for the Republicans.  His information cannot be impugned; the Democrats already have corroboration of  his allegations.

Do the Republicans want to learn the name of their savior and want to give him a medal?  Doubting that perhaps they want him ousted from the White House just so they can continue to commit impeachable offenses with impunity.

GUEST POST-CLAUDE THOMAS

When My Country Tis of Thee equals To Be or not to Be. by daedal2207 The dynamics of MOM's(POTUS) takeover of the Republican party are now clear .It was a promise of control of the courts right up to and including the Supreme Court..Control of the Judicial  part of the executive branch of government and through these control of immigration. On the way to this end increasing authoritarianism ,increasing suppression of minority and women's rights, destruction of the environment ,increasing gun violence, a raging opioid epidemic and global destabilization in favor of increasing 'me first sentiment, weakening of world action and planning, seem to be acceptable prices to pay.to keep America "White and Wealthy"The impeachment inquiry thus becomes an inquiry into whether or not the promise of America can ever be fulfilled. As the lantern holder for democratic practice across the world there is question as to who or what can pick up a discarded torch. As media try to peer into the future they are coming up with leadership models who defy the prevailing stereotypes.We are getting LBGT protagonists.Women who match fisticuffs and macho derring do with men,heroes and heoines of color and trisomal 21 and Asperger afflicted characters who are quite instrumentsl snd effective.We are also seeing more mixed race individuals and mixed religion psirings.They all seem to rely on the cooperation of some of the old standard purveyors of power and influence since no one wants to embrace reviolt and mayhem. daedal2207 | 11 Nov 2019 at 4:23 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/p4Gt4f-15C

TRUMP ASKS

TRump asks his followers, "how can a man, like Amb. Gordon Sondland, who changed his testimony just to avoid a perjury charge, be believed?"

LACK OF SUCCESS AS A DEFENSE?

As witness depositions continue to shred Trump's impeachment defenses, it may be that the only defense left for him is that because he ultimately failed in his attempt to coerce sham investigations into the Bidens, Trump's actions did not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.  Since an acquittal, on these grounds, could set a precedent for a Democratic President, or even affect criminal charges for attempted murder, rape, robbery, and other felonies, the Senate will probably have to make clear that this defense of Trump is only available to him.

  

TRUMP'S WALL

Sure, the wall is vulnerable to a cutting tool available at a cost of $100.00, but that fact obscures how clever the concept of the wall is.  Trump has, astutely, noticed that the U.S. estimates the entry of illegal immigration by the number of apprehensions of illegals.  If the number of apprehensions is reduced, so does the estimated increase of illegals.  By reducing apprehensions. through making it easier to get illegals through the wall, Trump can take credit for reducing immigration.

WHY SHOULD IT BOTHER THEM IN THE LEAST?

Trump has stated, openly, that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and he would not lose a single supporter.  Since I have yet to hear a single Trump follower deny or denounce whatTrump claims, I have to believe him.  If a murder, by Trump, would not faze his supporters, why should mere extortion and treasonable interference in our electoral system bother his supporters in the least? 

OF COWARDICE AND LYING

Trump says that al-Baghdadi died a whimpering coward but his own military refuses to confirm that.  Meanwhile, all accounts say that al-Baghdadi died from detonating his suicide vest which to the Arab world means he died a hero and a martyr and Trump is a liar.  To the western world, when it comes to Trump, his cowardice, as well as his lying, is well known.

TRUMP'S CONTRIBUTION

Those criticizing Donald Trump for playing golf during the raid that killed al Baghdadi, have it all wrong.  His playing golf was his contribution to the effort.  He was taking no chances that he would say or do something to screw up the works.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE DEATH OF BAGHDADI

ISIS was formed in the bowels of an American operated prison in Iraq and prospered despite its founder being incarcerated.   The organization has been eliminated many times only to resurrect itself again and again.  The death of its founder did not stop Al Qaeda which continues to this day; we don't believe the death of Baghdadi will end ISIS.

YOU JUST GOTTA SEE THE BIG PICTURE.

American troops have been deployed to the oil fields of  Syria to keep them from falling into the hands of ISIS who have become a threat now that American troops have been deployed to the oil fields and since we have lost our allies in the region, we now will need more American troops to make up for our lost allies.  If it all sounds ridiculous,  you should consider the big picture in the great loss in revenue to the Trump Corp. had trump crossed Erdogan.

WHEN TRUMP CALLS REPUBLICANS HUMAN SCUM

When President Bonespurs calls a West Point graduate who served honorably in Viet Nam and who came out of retirement only because he was asked by a fellow graduate, Secretary Pompeo to take the job, Human Scum the Republican Party is diminished by yet another honorable, competent public servant.  Soon enough, there will be none left and the death knell of the party will toll. 

PUTIN'S LATEST DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN

With the exposure of the Ukraine plot to take the blame for Russian interference in the 2016 elections, a desperate Putin has ordered his assets in the U.S.  to try plan B, which is to revise history another way, in order to absolve Russia of culpability in the interference in U.S. elections.  Even unwitting Russian assets are flooding my email with a renewed interest in the 2016 elections and the Mueller probe.    

Apparently, Putin is conceding that it is hopeless to contest the Ukraine plot because of overwhelming evidence being amassed, but a new conspiracy theory, that the hacking of the D.N.C. computers was an Obama plot undertaken by  European allies has been set into motion.  AG Barr is traveling Europe to try to enlist aid for the project using enticements.  He has opened a criminal investigation into the beginning of the Mueller investigation without a scintilla of evidence.

I would caution my so-called Conservative friends that the 2016 elections has yet to be litigated in the courts and could still be a matter of future impeachment hearings.  The current impeachment proceedings are based on actions in 2019 and distractions notwith-standing, will not be affected by Putin's current disinformation campaign. 
,

RULES ARE MADE BY REPUBLICANS NOT FOLLOWED BY THEM

Imagine if Democratic Congressmen they had barged into the SCIFs where Hilary Clinton was being interrogated over the Benghazi incident, time and time again.  Repugs would still be talking about the lack of respect for the democratic process and the lack of concern for the security of the nation by bringing cell phones into a SCIF.  But Repugs say that because it was rules promulgated by Republicans, in the first place, that they violated, they were meant to apply to Democrats and were only optional for them.

Of course, when the impeachment process moves into its next phase when witnesses begin to testify in public, do not be surprised if Repugs do everything in their power to stop open hearings.

REPUG DOUBLE STANDARDS

I"m sure that my so-called conservative friends will be able to explain to me how it is possible for Republicans, in the House of Representatives, can close down a committee hearing, behind closed doors, as an "abuse of power" while G.O.P. spokespeople claim that Trump cannot be impeached because "abuse of Power is not a crime", all in the same day 

GUEST POST-COURTESY OF CLAUDE THOMAS

New post on The Octogenarians

Tinker, Taylor,Sondoland,Spy by daedal2207 The wheels may finally be off on the Jokers cart..The Trumpian lie machine has come up against a warrior and a patriot in Bill Taylor who is hard to discredit..In Vernon Sondoland we have a man who bought an ambassadorship and lied about the quid pro quo blackmailing of the Ukrainian President.John Le Carre would have at least made it suspenseful. Now we can watch craven Republican senators rally behind Lindsey Graham to come up with a plan to salvage a corrupt Presidency.

NO QUID PRO QUO

Donald Trump is visibly incensed over the notion that he was involved in a "quid pro quo".  He points to his efforts to build a wall to keep out Latins as proof of his views on the matter.

WHAT'S THE RUSH?

Pelosi has, appropriately, resisted the urge to rush into impeachment hearings at an inopportune time, and it looks like, again, she will resist throwing every impeachable thing she's got on Trump, into a single impeachment.  Facing an 80% chance that a Republican-controlled Senate will not remove Trump, and the possibility that, no matter how remote it may seem, Trump will gain a second term, we'll still have more for future impeachment events with a more amenable Senate.  Just because we have a President who is unprepared for future consequences, doesn't mean that Democrats can afford to not bother with possibilities down the road.

THE ETERNAL INVESTIGATION

Once upon a time, an overworked Secretary of State, anxious to spend a little time at her home on the weekends, arranged for her office to send her unclassified mail to her home where she could work on it in her free time.  Her office arranged this but members of a group called the Grubby Ogres Party told ugly rumors about the content of those emails ending the Secretary's political career despite failing to find any evidence of wrongdoing.  The vindictive Ogres, upon taking power authorized the StateDepartment, now under their control, to launch yet another investigation, this one with the specific goal of finding wrong-doing.  After three years of intensive investigation the State Department came up with bubkes, much to the dismay of Grubby Ogres all over.   It is our understanding that the G.O.P., undaunted by another failure, have promised an eternal investigation into the matter.

GUEST POST

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New post on The Octogenarians Angels with Dirty Faces…So Let em Burn by daedal2207 Having withdrawn American forces from northern Syria bragging about bringing them home (while doubling the number sent to Saudi Arabia)Mom aka POTUS declares that the Kurds are no angels and blames them for non participation in our  other wars.While some of the burning that we see is from a Vietnam era training mission film, the murder and pillage by extremist Muslim mercenaries,the destruction of villages by Turkish jets,,the evidence of the use of banned cluster bombs and napalm are real Russian tanks ,half tracks and helicopters now have the separation of forces role to ensure that the Turkish takeover occurs seamlessly.The Turkiksh President is well on his way toward replacing the occupants of  the Kurdish homeland with transported Arabs.a la the middle ages.This is an acknowledged part of genocide but the U.S President calls him a hell of a leader and a real tough guy. The beaten and shot through the head Kurdish assemblywoman would not agree. Meanwhile domestically the Ukraine scandal involving the withholding of appropriated funds for political support is exploding with Guiiani and friends either under arrest, indicted or refusing to comply with subpoenas.Those who cannot see that Trumpism is a threat to our Democracy and the world are truly blind. daedal2207 | 19 Oct 2019 at 4:12 pm | Categorie

DEJA VU

Pence's speech from Turkey earlier today evoked a feeling of deja vu which on search of my memory took me back to 1938 when Hitler was gifted Sudentland in Czechslovakia which only whetted his appetite for  Poland.  We  have not seen the likes of a statesman such as Donald Trump since Neville Chamberlain stepped off a plane, from Munich, in 1938, announcing "Peace in our time".

PUTTING THE TOOTH PASTE BACK INTO THE TUBE

I just heard a speech by V.P. Pence, in Ankara, announce that Turkey, who invaded Syria to establish a 20-mile wide buffer zone, will agree to a cease-fire of 120 hours to allow for the U.S. to get Kurdish forces to evacuate to allow Turkish forces to peacefully occupy the lands they want. I'm not at all sure how much influence the U.S.has on the Kurds now that they have been betrayed, but lots of luck in your endeavor, Mr. Trump.

"KURDS ARE NO ANGELS"

When Trump says "Kurds are no angels" is he saying that the Kurds who died alongside our troops, fighting ISIS, have gone to hell?

TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Republicans, in an effort to deflect from Trump's abandonment of the Kurds, point to the decision to abandon Iraq, that Obama had made.  This ignores completely that before Obama ever took office, George W. Bush signed a Status of Forces Agreement providing for our departure from Iraq on a date certain.  To remain longer, the Iraqi government, established during the Bush regime, wanted our troops to be subject to Iraqi law.  Rather than allow this, Obama withdrew our troops "over the horizon".  When our troops came back, it was at the request of a different Iraqi government who agreed to a new status of forces with troops subject to our code of military justice and not Iraq's. 

PERFIDEOUS KURDS

Trump supporters are seething with rage at the perfidy of the Kurds, who despite all we have done to them, appear to have made a deal with Putin.  Trump is so hurt, he vows "No more Mr. nice guy" in his dealings from now on.

SEEKING AVOIDANCE OF MORE COLLATERAL DAMAGE?

Of course, President Bonespurs is going to order American troops to pull back in view of the Turk's expanding operations in northern Syria.  He is concerned about collateral damage to Trump holdings in Turkey.

BRINGING OUR TROOPS HOME?

D.J. Trump, in one of his many attempts to justify his Kurd policy, stated that he was bringing our troops home.  Problem is that by taking 1000 troops out of northern Syria he now has to send 3000 to Saudi Arabia to protect his clients, from an anticipated resurgence of ISIS. there.

IT'S NOT DONALD J. TRUMP'S FAULT

Hey, all you people with TDS, it's not Donald J. Trump's fault that the  Kurds don't have the funds to pay dues to Trump Corp, as does Turkey  After all, how many delegations have the Kurds lodged at a Trump hotel  How many Trump Towers do the Kurds have?  Only unreasonable and irrational Liberals suffering from Trump Delusion Syndrome could possibly think that there was something that was not "perfect" in Trump's decision to pull troops out of Northern Syria.

TO HONOR FALLEN KURDS

Now that Trump has enabled Erdogan to attack former allies by withdrawing our troops, a simple statement to the effect that he doesn't endorse the genocidal attack should be adequate to placate any critics of his policy.  To satisfy any further disquiet, a special medal for Kurd bravery in defense of  Turkish profits for the Trump Corp. will be struck to honor fallen Kurds.

HAS ANYONE NOTICED?

Has anyone noticed that Trump who wants to ban entry of Moslems into the U.S. has suddenly sanctioned China for ill-treating Moslems in China?  Forgive me if I disbelieve a sudden surge of empathy on the part of Donald.  I prefer to believe that these particular sanctions were placed to coerce  China into finding dirt, as he asked them, on his political rivals.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

If Israel is unable to provide sufficient arms for the Kurds whom Trump has abandoned, I expect Iran, who is an enemy of ISIS, will step in an provide assistance,  much to Israel's chagrin.
  In any event, I believe that Erdogan, ingoing after the Kurds, may come to regret getting involved in this mess.  But as collateral damage so will Israel, as well as many of its people who have long, centuries-old relationships with the Kurds.

NEWLY IDENTIFIED DISEASE BECOMES PANDEMIC

A disease, first described in a troll factory in St. Petersberg, Russia that produces bumper stickers for the G.O.P., called Trump Derangement Syndrome, has become infectious and has now even infected prominent Republican politicians, who previously were thought to be impervious to the disease.

T.D.S. is now pandemic, being found in all nations without regard to political boundaries. 

OPEN NATION

Under international law, a country that is being invaded by a foreign adversary can declare one of its cities "open" which means it will not be defended and therefore available for occupation, thus sparing the city from the devastation of warfare.  In a similar fashion, Trump by inviting China to meddle, alongside the Russians, in our elections, Trump has declared the U.S. to be an open nation when it comes to cyber-warfare.   Now Trump's enablers, understanding the ramifications of what Trump has said, are quick to advise us all that Donald is just joking and baiting the press.  However, there is no news about whether other nations, who may lack a sense of humor, have received an official notification that it's just a joke.

BIG TIME CRIME

It's not just that Donald was looking for dirt on his political rivals but that he wanted Ukraine to manufacture the evidence to back up the claim.  Additionally, he was looking for them to be the fall guy, to take the rap, in gangland parlance, for the Russian hacking of the 2016 elections.  Trump is not just guilty of a political transgression, he is involved in a full-blown conspiracy to obstruct justice

WHAT PRESSURE IS PUTIN PUTTING ON TRUMP?

As I listen to the latest news concerning Trump's activities in Ukraine, I cannot help but wonder why Trump is so desperate to pull Putin's chestnuts out of the fire, that he would risk his presidency so foolishly.  What is this urgency for a resolution to Putin's problems by having Ukraine take the blame for the attack on the U.S. 2016 elections and to end all resistance to Moscow's invasion of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, and why has Trump been forced to take this task on?  What kind of pressure is Putin able to put on Trump to take these extraordinary risks?  

WHY SO MILD?

I hear TV pundits wonder about how mildly Trump, full of vituperation for his enemies, treats Nancy Pelosi,  Now to the slightly warped mind of the Pitcher in the Wry, this should be expected from the cunning Trump.  After all, he thinks that if he is impeached so to will Pence.  Who then could be the President who could pardon Trump for his transgressions?  To Trump, Nancy could be his final fall back if all else fails.  He is reluctant to insult Madame President.

MUCH BETTER AS A MINORITY PARTY

I believe that it is self-evident the Republicans are much better at being the minority party than the Democrats. As an example, just how long would, say, Barack Obama have stayed  in office had he told some visiting Russian officials that it was O.K. for Russia to meddle in our elections because after all, we meddled in theirs?

KREMLIN APPROVED DISINFORMATION DEBUTS

Yesterday I posted an article titled "The Plot Thickens" which met with disbelief among some correspondents, nevertheless, that same day, "Forever Trumpers" were parroting the new Gospel according to St. Vladamir on TV.  It goes something like this: In July Trump called the newly elected president of the Ukraine not to collude with him but to get his assurances that Ukraine would not interfere in they did in the 2016 elections and shift the blame onto the Russians.  It's no longer a possibility, it's already a G.O.P. bumper sticker.

THE PLOT THICKENS

Last night, a very erudite T.V. commentator clarified some cryptic language Trump used in his call to the newly elected President of Ukraine and also cleared up a nagging question of my own, as to how Trump was able to get Putin's permission to offer arms, to Ukraine, for use against Russian tanks. as a part of Trump's offer which Zelensky would not be permitted to refuse.  Ukraine was supposed to take the blame for being the real culprit behind the Russian attack on our elections clearing Putin of charges of a cyber attack and getting some sanctions lifted.  Perhaps, too, Trump might be hoping, with the pressure off, Putin would be more willing to interfere in the 2020 elections.

WARPED REASONING

The rationale to justify Trump's actions with the newly elected president of the Ukraine is an example of the warped reasoning  exhibited by Trump and his followers.  Joe Biden is said to have used his influence to hold back $1 billion in funds to Ukraine, to get a corrupt Ukranian prosecutor fired.  Somehow, this is made to appear as the worst scandal in the U.S. since Teapot Dome.

At the time, Biden openly informed the public of his intention to use his influence to block a loan guarantee, in the amount of $1 billion, unless the prosecutor was fired.  It was public knowledge and no U.S. funds were involved although our credit would be involved if there was a default.

Now, the entire affair was public knowledge both in the U.S.and the Ukraine in 2017 when Trump took office. In the U.S., investigations are done by the F.B.I or the Department of Justice, both of which have been under control of  Republican appointees including those appointed by Trump, himself, for most of the time since.  Neither have even found enough evidence of criminal wrong-doing to initiate an investigation.  An investigation by Ukranian authories also found no evidence of wrongdoing. 

So what is Trump's beef with the new President of Ukraine?  He thinks that Ukraine owes him the favor of coming up with something, anything that will help him in the 2020 elections.

A DEAL FOR HIS RESIGNATION

Sometime early in the Trump Administration, I made an observation, erroneously considered a prediction by some of my correspondents, that Trump might not finish out his first term because of his many legal problems.  At this point in time, my observation has been reinforced not by Trump's impeachment  so much as the prospects of impeachment and possibility of contempt charges for not providing documents requested by Congress in other matters, which could possibly make matters worse, for Donald than a phone call to Ukraine.  For example, Barr may decide to turn over D.O..J. documents dealing with the Mueller investigation, or Mnuchin may give up those tax return as the law requires, and things could get even worse for the Donald than they 

are now.  I think the possibility that Trump might start angling for a deal in exchange for his resignation still remains strong.

"IT'S GOOD TO BE THE KING!"

If you or I were under suspicion of having committed a felony but claimed that we had a document exculpating us from the crime, but refused to allow that document to be seen, it would be only considered more evidence of guilt.  However, the words of a monarch, as to his innocence, are supposed to bear more weight than his deeds.  If Donald Trump says he is innocent of having committed a crime but won't allow the document, which could prove it, to be seen, his royal voice should be enough for his subjects. Yes, it's good to be the King!

"ONE THING WE CAN BE PRETTY CERTAIN ABOUT"

One thing we can feel pretty certain about is that Trump and his cohorts do not have anything on Joe Biden or his son or they wouldn't still be looking.  Trumper's say, "we know there is evidence but it just hasn't been manufactured yet.  That's why we're offering a potential producer hundreds of millions of dollars for it."

WHAT A SLEAZEBAG

What a sleazebag of a human being we have for a president!  He tries to extort the president of another country to find dirt not on his opponent but on a son of his opponent.  I have stepped on cockroaches with more stature than this man.

A LESSON LEARNED

After telling a television interviewer that "of course I asked the Ukranian president to investigate Biden to help Trump", and possibly regretting the revelation which might be incriminating Rudy Giuliani launched into a diatribe against the interviewer for the failure of investigators to look into the alleged transgressions of others which, accordingly, exonerated his transgression.  

Had I known that all of my personal transgressions which have so troubled me later in life, were all absolved, say, by the failure of the Reichstag to investigate Hitler, I might have been spared all that angst.  I admit, however, having difficulty wrapping my head around the concept that someone else's sin exonerates your own.

DEFENDING THEIR TURF

I believe there is a way we can shake out the lethargy that the U.S. Senate exhibits when it comes to its prerogatives under the Separation of Powers concept of our Constitution.  All that is needed is for the American people to elect a black Democratic President and watch how quickly the Republicans begin to once again defend their turf.

ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE

When I listen to Trump excoriate Bolton for the terrible job he did as National Security Adviser, I wonder if he was appointed by Obama, but my fact-checker assures me that he was appointed by Trump who claims to hire only the best people.

WHY ARE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS SO BELLIGERANT?

We seem to have gone from a Republican president who was always boasting "Bring it on", to the next Republican president who promised  "Fire the likes of which has never been seen before".   Of course, both George W. Bush and  Donald Trump would have been better served with less belligerence and more circumspection.  

SO HARD TO GET STRAIGHT

It's so difficult to understand this zany world.  Saudi Arabia gets involved in a Civil War in Yemen.  Their arch-rival in the Moslem world, Iran, becomes involved in the same civil war in which U.S. military now are serving tours of duty in order to assist an ally with whom we have no treaty obligation.  

Since the U.S. not only is self-sufficient in petroleum supplies, and, indeed, exports petroleum products to the rest of the world, in competition with Saudi Arabia, the recent alleged drone bombing attack on a Saudi refinery, in a narrow sense, actually benefits U.S. oil companies who peg their prices to the world price of petroleum which is rising.  Even as our own consumer prices are rising, oil company windfall profits will be rising in tandem.

China is probably the largest consumer of Saudi oil and although they may become the biggest beneficiary of our further intervention in this civil war, I doubt you will find their military involved, although we may have to borrow the money to fight it, from the Chinese.

Crazy world, indeed.

BUDDING POLITICIANS

Now that the Trump family has found out that being President of the United States can be so lucrative, is it any wonder that members of the family are pursuing the possibility of political careers?

WHY THE RUSH?

The question as to the abrupt firing of John Bolton lingers on.  Trump could have asked Bolton to resign by a certain date and an orderly succession could have taken place.  Instead, there was almost an overnight urgency in getting rid of him.  Did Bolton get his marching orders from Putin himself?  Is there something afoot where Bolton's presence could be embarrassing? Maybe Putin wants to annex another former Soviet Union country and doesn't want a fierce critic in the White House.

NO NICER GUY

Donald Trump could not have picked a nicer guy on whom to dump the blame for his foreign policy fiascos than John Bolton.  However, if the thinks that he will be able to wipe the slate clean, he will probably be disappointed, but there is always someone there who he can blame for the decision to fire Bolton.

THE SEASON FOR SUBPOENAS

For many months now, I have approved of  Nancy Pelosi's reluctance to initiate impeachment proceedings prematurely.  As an old pro, Nancy was not going to waste a good impeachment on the month of August.  I do expect, though, that in September, when Congress comes back, that is going to change.  I expect the subpoenas are going to be flying thick and fast from hereon.

THE POLITICIZATION OF WEATHER FORECASTING

If even weather forecasting becomes politicized, and Presidential ukase takes precedence over mathematical algorithms will forecasting become "fake news" which will no longer serve as an early warning for our citizens?  

TAXPAYER MONEY

Although Trump feels that using military funds as fulfilling his promise to have Mexico pay for the construction of a wall on the Mexican border. let us not forget that all military funds are taxpayer funds, and shortfalls in the military budget will have to be made up by the taxpayer, not Mexico.

THE IMPERATIVE TO ASSIST THE BAHAMAS.

This morning, AXIOS, voiced concern that if the U.S. did not give aid to the Bahamas, China would and thus would extend their zone of influence close to our shores.  I believe, therefore, that it is imperative that we borrow the money from China, to be able to assist the Bahamas.

INFALLABILITY EX CATHEDRA

No less than the Pope, Donald J. Trump claims infallibility ex cathedra, and offers a map altered by a marking pen as proof thereof.

THE RETURN OF OUTRAGE

Republicans who have become concerned that they have become enured to any outrage have been assured, by the Party, that the return of a Democrat to the White House will regenerate the ability to once again feel outrage at actions of their government. Indeed, they have received assurances that should another Black Democrat be elected, their ability to feel super-human outrage will likewise return.

VIOLATING SECRET LAWS

 Even though an IG Report clearly states that Comey did not divulge classified documents, Trumpers continue to accuse him of a crime because he may have violated internal regulations.  Since no U.S. laws were actually broken, the D.O.J. declined to indict him. Nevertheless, Trump and his followers are carrying-on like banshees about Comey as if he were an actual felon.  All the while, they offer the fact that internal regulations have spared Trump from an indictment, for a felony, as proof of his exoneration.

FAILURE "AB OVO"

I believe that History will record that the Trump Presidency was doomed to fail from the very beginning because it was impossible to serve two masters, the American people, and Vladamir Putin.

UNLESS AND UNTIL...

Trump supporters will never understand why it is wrong for him to use his government position to engage in personal business, unless and until, say, Michelle  Obama opens a Bed & Breakfast in her Washington home at which time a Republican chorus decrying how the Presidency's stature is being demeaned by the commercialization of the office, arises.

WIELDING A MEAT CLEAVER

Now that Trump admits regrets for the way he dealt with China by using a meat cleaver instead of a scalpel, don't expect Trump to have learned from the experience; Trump does not know how to wield a scalpel, he knows only how to bludgeon his opponents,  His mental disability allowed for extreme jealousy of Obama to [revent him from learning from his predecessor,  Had he bothered to heed him, he would not have withdrawn the U.S. from the TPP a trade pact which Obama carefully crafted to offset China's ability  to blunt our tactics.  There would be no trade war had the TPP been in the wings to take over the role China plays in our economy.

PROXY WAR BETEEN CHINA AND THE F.S.U.

I admit that I often have a weird, quirky view of events, but  I see in China's approach to the trade war a long view of the current world political situation and they have opted for regime change in the U.S. as being to their long-range interests.  For the Chinese, their existential threats are climate change and the former Soviet Union.  They are well-aware that Putin has subverted not only the U, S. Government but thereby the whole world order.  They are more concerned with the massing of former Soviet troops along the Amur border and a unified global effort against climate change than going along with weakness in Washington. I have the quirky view that the developing trade war is a proxy war between China and the former Soviet Union.

OF COURSE...

Of course, Trump who has publicly taken credit for destroying ISIS, on his watch,  takes no responsibility for their resurgence in Iraq and Syria, also on his watch.

THE SECOND THING I LEARNED YESTERDAY

 The second thing I learned, yesterday, was that if the head of state of an ally calls a proposal of the U.S. "absurd", that head of state has committed Lèse-majesté.

TODAY I LEARNED...

Today I learned that instead of the 2nd Coming of Jesus, God has chosen to arrange for the first coming of Donald!

GRUDGING ADMISSION

Even as my PseudoCon friends send me hundreds of Russian-made memes, every day, they continue to deny Russian interference in our election unless we can prove direct manipulation of the voting machines. Only then,  when leakers are identified and the DOJ can take corrective action, will they grudgingly admit there may have been interference in the election.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE ECONOMY

When it comes to the economy. my biggest fear is not so much that we will have a recession but if we do have one that Trump has so distorted the economy that we won't have the means to get out of it without a revolution.

FOOL ME ONCE...

After Parkland, the American People believed Trump that he would institute common-sense gun reforms.  He lied; shame on you Mr. Trump.  After the massacre at El Paso, Trump has promised to, once again, institute common-sense gun reform laws.  Shame on you American people for, once again Amerian people for believing him.  Amazing the confidence Trump exhibits in his ability to hoodwink the gullible people of these United States.

PROOF OF MENTAL INCAPACITY

Some of my sources indicate that the N.R.A. is seriously considering throwing Trump under the bus to get themselves out of being associated with the White Supremacy movement.  They will offer of proof of the mental deficiency of the El Paso shooter by the fact that he was a follower of Trump

IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HERE

Another multiple shooting took place on Sunday. It would not have happened in Texas, where open carry of firearms is permitted, and everyone knows that good armed men stop bad men from doing these evil deeds. Nor could it have happened in El Paso where a fence stops evil immigrants from coming into the U.S. to perpetrate these heinous crimes. No, it could not have happened in El Paso, Texas!

THE TRIGGERS OF APOPLEXY

It is a medical mystery how ambient phenomena affect afflictions.  During the Obama Administration the testing of North Korean missiles some of which are capable of reaching the U.S., would have set off  apoplectic paroxnyms whereas under Trump we can barely get a "Meh" 

AN UNSCALEABLE HOLE

With each passing year, the popularity of Barack Obama goes up as the American public grasps the contrast with Donald Trump.  Democratic candidates for the 2020 Presidential who seek to attack Biden by going after Obama are digging themselves a deeper and deeper unscaleable hole.

HOME GROWN TRAITORS

While Russians bravely demonstrate, in the streets of Moscow, against the Putin regime, homegrown traitors, here in America, happily accept Putin's rubles to betray the U.S.A.

RED STATE REFUGEES

Cities on our West find that they, too, are unwilling hosts of the "Wretched Refuse" of an alien teeming shore, namely the Red States of America who send their homeless to the West Coast urban centers for care and assistance.  Unlike illegal aliens who disappear into an underground railroad where they find employment, somehow, Red State aliens, accustomed to living in states that survive on the taxes paid by the citizens of Blue states, congregate as homeless in the urban centers of California, expecting care and sustenance.

An added advantage, for the Red States, in exporting their urban problems, is that their conservative media outlets can then criticize the handling of their homelessness problems for not taking prompter care of their refugees.

AN INTERESTING NEW METRIC

Donald Trump has inserted an interesting new metric into our political system by attacking Congressman Elijah Cummings for the financial wealth of his district.  If we were to similarly judge Republican districts of Red States we would not be able to draw such a comparison with the 7th District of the state of Mississippi, we would not even find a 7th District, Mississippi having lost seats owing to population decline decades ago.  The per capita income of the 7th District of Maryland exceeds that of the per capita income of the whole state of Mississipi by more than $16,000.per annum.  

Alabama's 7th District fares better showing a median income of about $200.00 better than the 7th District of Maryland. The state of Alabama, as a whole, however, has a per capita income more than $10,000.00 per year less than that of Elijah Cummings' District.

Using Trump's new metric might well enhance the Democratic majority, in Congress, especially at the expense of the Republican caucus. 

WHO BETTER TO TALK ABOUT IT

When our most eminent expert on rat-infested real estate, namely, Donald Trump, speaks, ex oficio,  on infestations of vermin, we all must take it seriously.  Who better to talk about the subject than the owner of Mierd-A-Lago? 

CALLS FOR REPEAL OF OBAMACARE GO UNABATED

A simple computer glitch, relatively easily fixed, was sufficient reason, for Republicans, to initiate a barrage of salvos to repeal Obamacare despite its efficacy in accomplishing its primary goal of increasing health coverage for the American people.

By the same token, the Trump tax reform bill of 2017, despite not having accomplished a single one of its purported goals proceeds without a single call, from Republicans, for its repeal.

Despite promises, it has increased our debt without repairing our infrastructure or the inequality in both income and wealth in our society, yet nary a sign of opposition to the tax reform bill whereas calls for repeal of Obamacare go unabated.

DIVERTING MILITARY FUNDS

Trump and his supporters are quite pleased, this morning because the Supreme Court has cleared them to divert funds from the military to build a section of his wall on the Southern border. Let us hope that they are so well pleased when, basis this ruling, when a Democratic president wants funds diverted from the military towards humanitarian efforts, in Central America, to help provide assistance in stopping mass migrations from those countries, to begin with.

WHY PUTIN DISRESPECTS US

To demonstrate why he has so much disdain for  American democracy, Putin need only to point out that if Russian counterintelligence services uncovered any Russian aiding and abetting American interference in the Russian government he or she would be summarily executed, whereas in the United States he could be made President.

A TASTE OF VOMIT

I wonder how many of my fellow Americans got a taste of vomit in their mouth on hearing Trump say he tried to stop the chant "Send her back" at his rally.  I hope the American people will give the oily worm the bird at the next election.

PUTIN'S DREAM

Ever since Vladamir Putin, as a low-level officer of the K.G.B watched his beloved Soviet Union, break apart under the pressure exerted by the Reagan Administration, it has been Putin's dream to return the favor to the American Federation known as the United States.  As Putin observed, it was a unique document, which enabled separate States with distinctly separate geographies and peoples, to, by agreeing to give up some sovereignty with certain guarantees to not only form a Union but to weather more than two centuries of rule. The glue of the Union was the Constitution and the dream of Putin was to somehow, someway destroy that Constitution and preside over the break-up of that Union as Reagan presided over the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Putin's plans are on the road to an astounding success as his man in the White House is destroying the delicate balance of different forces, that the Constitution provided which kept  the Union together, and may, indeed, be on the cusp of the dissolution of what was once the most successful federation in the history of mankind.

BONEHEAD ACTIVITIES

Donald J. Trump loudly proclaims that he does not have a racist bone in his body.  Since racism does not reside in the bones of normal human beings,  we might all be able to draw the inference that in Donald's case his cranium, where mistaken notions normally reside, is solid bone, and thus unable to entertain ideas, either erroneous or otherwise. 

That particular hypothesis would certainly be less divisive to our country than others we might harbor.    Additionally, in Donald's case, might explain some bonehead things he has done.

NAILING DOWN A MINORITY VOTE

Say what you will about the political acumen of Donald Trump, he sure nailed down the vote of Amerinds when he brought up the idea of asking people born in the United States to go back to the country of their ancestry.

CHILDHOOD TAUNTS

Growing up in the streets of New York, it was common enough to hear the taunt: "Go back to where you came from"   It was rare to hear the words from adults except those whose development had been retarded by say, a personality disorder.

In any event,  the words carried little weight especially when we learned that all of our ancestors, going back to the Indians, would have left the country long before we had been born, had anyone paid the words any mind.

RECUSAL REMORSE

Not 24 hours after he recused himself, William Barr must have received his orders not to recuse himself from the Jeff Epstein investigation, because his "fixer" services might again be needed for the President, thus demonstrating how high up the influence of a pedophile can reach.  The last thing Trump would want is for Epstein to have a deal which could enable him to spill his guts in exchange for leniency.

RECUSAL REGRET

Just as Jeff Sessions came to regret his having recused himself from the investigation of Trump's involvement with the investigation into Russian intervention in the 2016 election, William Barr may come to regret his having recused himself from the investigation of  Jeff Epstein. 

TO DEMONSTRATE THE TRUMP PROPAGANDA MACHINE

To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Trump propaganda machine, at the same time Republicans lambaste Democrats for wanting open borders and being too lenient with illegal immigrants, even I.C.E. reports that Trump is slower, at deporting illegals, than Obama.  This way Trump has it both ways, claiming that Democrats are too soft, and telling Latinos that he is kinder than Obama.

GOD RAINED ON TRUMP'S PARADE

I hear that God received a twitterful of invective for having rained on Trump's 4th of July Parade.  Evangelicals are concerned with whether God will be able to retain His position in the Trump cabinet.

LONELY IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

So Amash has left the Republican Party.  Probably just as well.  It must be pretty lonely in the Republican Party for any man with integrity.

PARADE PETTY CASH

Lest the American public thinks that the $2.5 million, diverted from the National Park budget, is the sum total of the cost of Trump's 4th of July parade, it is just the Petty Cash.  The big-ticket items are such things as tanks and aircraft mobilizations and tank operations as well as manpower costs all of which come out of the Defense Department budget, and which, of course, will have to be repaid out of the taxes to which the Trump family and friends are reluctant to contribute to.  

GLAD I'M NOT A DEMOCRAT

I renounced being a Democrat in 1964.  I am glad that because I am a registered Independent, I am ineligible to vote in primaries held in the state of Florida; this year I am thankful for that as I would not be able to choose between them.  They are as fine a group of candidates as I have seen in many years.  I will gladly vote for any one of them in the General Election.

A PUBLIC SERVICE FOR WOMEN

Trump says that he did not rape a New York woman because she was "not his type". This, of course, leaves open the possibility that he would rape a woman who is his type.  As a public service, the appropriate authorities should ascertain what type of woman should fear being raped by the President so that they can avoid any contact with him

PRE-ELECTION JITTERS?

Trump's story about asking the military, with minutes to spare, about casualties in undertaking a retaliation raid on Iran, just does not have the ring of truth to it.  Not only would his briefing have estimated Iranian casualties but would have contained an assessment of possible damage inflicted on our own troops in Iraq in response to such an attack.  That the attack on Iran would have imperiled thousands of our men in Iraq might have appeared as a footnote in the assessment provided to Trump, by the military, and Trump's aides only got around to reading it just minutes before the scheduled attack.  The fact that a large number of our own casualties might have a major effect on the 2020 election was probably not lost on Trump's people.

TRUMP'S NOBEL PRIZE

It is said that now that Trump has stopped our military from punishing Iran for the downing of a drone aircraft, he has instructed our ambassador in Norway to make sure he receives the Nobel Peace Prize before the 2020 election.  After all, who better to receive it than a person who doesn't start one to begin with?

HISTORY OF ATTACKING THE WRONG COUNTRY

Despite the fact that the Taliban, an ally of Saudi Arabia and a foe of Iran, has claimed responsibility, Trump and his surrogates are claiming that Iran attacked vessels in the Persian Gulf.  Pictures of the vessels seem to back up the Taliban claims because they show 2 small holes in the vessel's outer hull and no oil leaking.  Had they been hit by an Iranian missile, they would be pictures of a fireball since they were carrying a combustible material.  

With our history of attacking the wrong country, it is little wonder that the world is skeptical of Trump's claims.

STRESS FOR TRUMP, QUANDARY FOR PUTIN

Threats, possibly arising within his own administration, to his reelection efforts, are putting much stress on Trump, in recent days,
Just when Trump has advised his Russian allies that they are clear to provide assistance, as needed, to his 2020 campaign efforts, an article appears in the NewYork Times that the U.S. has the capacity to retaliate on the Russian electricity grid.  Trump is infuriated by this undermining of his efforts to enlist Russian assistance and rushes to assure them that the U.S. has no such capability.

Now the Russians have to decide whether to believe Trump, the source of over 10,000 lies, or resistance to Trump within the U.S. bureaucracy.  Should Putin risk massive retaliation or let Trump take his chances in an election.

BIG PHARMA FOLLY

Even as prices for pharmaceuticals soar out of the range of affordability for much of the American public, Big Pharma is spending millions on TV ads to convince us not to change the system so Big Pharma can have many new breakthrough drugs which we will not be able to afford either.

PYTHONS CAN'T SOLVE QUADRATIC EQUATIONS EITHER

To those who wonder how an ignorant person such as Trump could have been so successful in life, I say, in a world of snakes, cunning can substitute for knowledge quite successfully.

IF THE CLAMORING OF THE PEOPLE...

If the clamoring of the people could keep a President in office beyond the allotted term, as Trump is implying, Obama would still be in office,

PUTIN HOLDS ALL THE TRUMP CARDS

Rumor has it that his Russian handler is incensed at Trump for having the nerve to invite other nations to compete for his services in the U.S.

Putin is demanding that Trump walk back his offer to look at other countries hacks of campaign opponents.  I expect that Putin's holding all the Trump cards and he, Trump, will be walking all those comments back over and over again.

A PLEA TO MY CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS

The Republican Minority leader in Congress has just made a statement, conflating the role of Hillary Clinton's campaign in the Steele dossier and Trump's announcement of acceptance of foreign aid in U.S. elections.

I'm sure that the Russian meme factories, that supply hundreds of  Russian-made memes to my conservative friends, will pick up on the remarks which will, in turn, result in hundreds of memes echoing the allegations, which will eventually clog my email inbox. I beg you to spare me from the deluge.  Here's why:

1. The Steel Dossier was first commissioned by a Republican opponent in their primary contest with Trump.  It was under a contract with an American firm for opposition research.  The Republican campaign, that commissioned the research paid for the research they did not receive it as a gift.  I'm sure that the Republican campaign reported the expenditure.  So far, no U.S. law was broken.  After the Republican primaries, an American campaign,  namely the Clinton campaign picked up the expenses for the research and likewise reported the expenses as required by law. Neither the Republican campaign nor the Democratic campaign violated any U.S. law.

2. The Steele Dossier was given to the F.B.I. not only by John McCain but by Steele, himself, a man who had worked closely with the F.B.I. as an Intelligence officer for the British Government.

3. None of the material within the Steele Dossier was hacked or obtained in violation of U.S. law.

There are no grounds whatsoever for conflating the Steele Dossier with the clandestine assistance given to Trump by the Russians, except for the purposes of  fabricating a Russian-made meme

THE MAKING OF A HEINOUS, TREASONABLE CRIME

In a recent television interview, Trump made it plain that he felt no compunction to call the F.B.I. or to not accept derogatory material, on an opponent, from a foreign power.  I am sure, however, that this would be completely reversed if, say, a NATO ally, with excellent moles in the Kremlin, would provide a copy of the pee tape to a Democratic Presidential candidate, whereupon it would become a heinous, treasonable crime, 

MEXICO! MEXICO??

Mexico promises to control immigration from Central America if the U.S. does not impose tariffs.  Mexico?  Isn't that the same country Trump asked to pretend that they were going along with paying for the wall to allow Trump to save face. Does anyone actually believe that Mexico, the land of the "Mordida", the "little bribe" could stop the inflow even if the central government wanted to?  As Trump's fellow New Yorkers would say: "FAHHGGEDDAABOUT IT"  

Trump will not impose tariffs on Mexican goods because he is unable to, just as Mexico is unable to stop Central Americans from coming across their southern border.

THE QUINTESSENTIAL POLITICAL ACT

Democrats who criticize their fellow Democrats for political considerations when weighing impeachment, saying it is a constitutional duty, ignore the fact that the constitution has made impeachment, itself, the quintessential political act.

Additionally,  Republicans would be overjoyed to end the matter of the impeachment of President Trump in the fall of 2019, a year before the general elections, than have it fresh in the memories of voters months before the elections.  Democrats also ignore the fact that impeachment is meaningless without removal which must be done in the Senate.  A vote in favor of removal might be possible after the Republican primaries when Republican Senators face the elections but is extremely unlikely before the primaries.

Democrats should practice judicious patience instead of wanting instant gratification.

ISN'T IT STRANGE...?

Isn't it strange that during the Administration of the most anti-immigrant President in our history, illegal immigration should peak?

You think it might have something to do with the policies of that President?

OF INACTION AND COWARDICE

If the officer at the Parkland high school is found to be criminally liable for cowardice for not confronting gun violence, should not the politicians who will not confront the N.R.A. out of fear for their position likewise be penalized?  If inaction becomes criminal, will the G.O.P. leaders in the Senate and House, face trial for not allowing votes on the floors of both Houses for gun control laws? 

GUN RIGHTS PEOPLE HAVE THEIR 2ND AMENDMENT...

Gun rights people have their 2nd Amendment, pro-choice people have their 13th amendment.  If gun ownership is protected by the 2nd Amendment, surely a woman's womb cannot be enslaved under the 13th amendment prohibiting slavery.

POLITICS CEASING AT WATER'S EDGE IS FOR DEMOCRATS ONLY.

Would that the so-called Conservatives had treated the Dixie Chicks who criticized George W. Bush, while they were in London. and were excoriated because  American Politics were supposed to cease at the water'sedge, with the same flexibility and leniency as they now afford to Donald J. Trump for doing the same thing siding with a murderous dictator, who has brutally killed American citizens, while he was in Japan.

A STABLE GENIUS

To those who would controvert Trump's claim that he is a stable genius, I challenge you to name a single stable where he would not be a genius compared to other denizens thereof.

DISGRACE UNDER PRESSURE

Americans have demonstrated a certain fondness for those who have shown grace under pressure.  Even as he was in the middle of actual impeachment procedures, Clinton kept his cool and did his job.  His approval rating was at its highest point after he was impeached.  Even Nixon who was forced to resign the office kept working at his job. until the very last minute of his presidency  At   the end of his life, Nixon had become a sort of elder statesman.

Trump, who has shown not grace but only disgrace under pressure, by not doing his job while still retaining the office will probably not fare as well as either Clinton or Nixon

POSSIBLE POSTPONMENT OF THE WAR WITH IRAN?

 Donald Trump became ecstatic at the news that costs of building his wall on the Southern border is working out to costing about $1 Billion per mile.  Here he was trying to figure out a third $1 trillion giveaway of taxpayer money, to mark the start of the third year of his administration and now may be able to call off the war with Iran, or perhaps postpone it till next year.

OLD STORY UNFORTUNATELY STILL RELEVANT

A personal story, which I have told before, which I regret still has relevance today, but shouldn't have, is how because of experiences, I changed from being anti-abortion to being anti-abortion but pro-choice:  

.My work took me behind the Iron Curtain to the Soviet-dominated country of Romania, then under the brutal administration of a Communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu who, seeking more workers for his factories, imposed even harsher penalties on women, living under difficult conditions as is, if they did not bear more children for the State. Abortions were banned in Romania.

I was particularly drawn to the plight of the children themselves who as pawns of the State received scant attention from mothers who had to work themselves to the bone to not only provide for more children than she could handle but eke out a livelihood in a Communist society.

In effect, Romania had enslaved women's bodies to serve the State.
I could not accept that any government legislate slavery for any person.  A woman has the right to decide whether she wants more children or not.  I changed my views.  Although like most, I am still anti-abortion, I am strongly pro-choice.

TO DEMONSTRATE THE DIFFERENCE

To demonstrate the difference in vision and foresight between Obama and Trump, we need only look at the situation between China and the U.S. through the eyes of future historians.  Obama came to office and looked at a situation where the U.S. was becoming more and more dependent on China for manufactured goods and financing and immediately began negotiating a new trade pact with a group that could become a rival and competitor to China.  That group, the TPP, could have changed the whole dynamics of our negotiations with China, but Trump killed the TPP before it could be born and thereby left the U.S. in what may turn out to be an untenable position.

ANOTHER TRAGIC MISTAKE?

In the fall of 1980, Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, attacked Iran with what was considered to be the 3d largest army in the world, at the time.  Saddam, not only had equipped his army with the finest, most modern weaponry available, he had a supply chain set up to replenish supplies as needed. Even with air superiority, not only did Iraq's forces not prosper, the poorly equipped Iranian forces halted the advance of the Iraqis but they began to push into Iraq itself.  In effect, the Iranians had stopped the massive Iraqi war machine with their own bodies. 

Iran took a  million casualties but they stopped the Iraqi invasion. If the neocons, who predicted that the Iraqis would welcome us with candy and who are now back in power, in the Trump Administration, are predicting a cakewalk in Iran, they will again be leading us into another tragic mistake, 

IS A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA WINNABLE?

I doubt that China"s populace is as addicted to American goods as Americans are to cheap Chinese goods.  It may turn out that the outcome of this trade war will hinge on which side suffers more from withdrawal symptoms.

INVESTIGATIVE CONCLUSIONS MANAGEENT

AG Barr, possibly responding to pressure from Trump, is opening a third investigation into alleged, by Trump, malevolent origins of the F.B.I. an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.  If past is prologue, I expect that the report will go only to AG Barr who will issue a summary of the report but the report itself will never see the light of day unless the conclusions are those of Mr. Trump.

OLD AMERICAN TRADITION UPHELD BY REPUBLICANS

Other nations may gape at the spectacle of our nation punishing China, for what it considers unfair trade practices, by beating up its own citizens instead of the Chinese.  It assesses tariffs that Americans have to pay.  At the same time, Americans lose markets for their goods which are higher valued goods than what they sell to the U.S.

Those other nations need not be amazed.  They can look to the last Republican Administration which, responding to a terrorist attack, invaded and occupied  Iraq, wrongly punishing a country which was not involved with that attack.  

DID YOU REALLY THINK TRUMP HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO LOSE $1.2 BILLION?

Did you really think Trump had enough money to lose $1,2 billion?  It was other people's money, that he lost.  It was bank loans that went unpaid; contractors who didn't receive reimbursement; workers who did not receive pay.  The Trump family did not miss a beat when it came to their lifestyle.

What Trump got from his, so-called losses was the right to deduct, from future earnings, the losses of others, owing to the largess of our tax code for the wealthy, where the less fortunate have to cover the losses of the more fortunate.

QUESTIONABLE MOTIVES?

Senate Democrats who are excited at the possibility that their Republican colleagues, who are subpoenaing Donald Trump< Jr. to appear before the Intelligence Committee, are growing a backbone, may be, in the end, rudely disappointed.  This may turn out to be an opportunity for Donald, Jr. to, by recanting, to the committee, his previous testimony, relative to the Trump Tower Moscow project, save himself from perjury charges, should the Republicans lose control of the Senate in the  2020 elections

UNFAIR APPLICATION OF AN OLD LAW

Donald Trump- says that the 1924 law with which Democrats have been demanding his tax returns is patently unfair.  Democrats have been successfully evading the law by the unfair tactic of voluntarily releasing their returns.

LIFE IN A VASSAL STATE

People who question why Trump did not tell Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election, just do not have a grasp about what it is to live in a vassal state.  Trump figures y'all will eventually figure it out.

LOWERING THE BAR

It seems to me that the bar for fiscal responsibility is raised for Democratic Presidencies and lowered for Republican ones.  Republican deficit hawks hover over Democratic Administrations who must lower deficits at the same time expand the economy whereas that bar gets arbitrarily lowered for Republican Administrations.  I watch the present Administration receiving praise and adulation for expanding the economy while increasing the deficit at the rate of $1 Trillion per year.  Both Trump's immediate Democratic Administrations expanded the economy, Clinton and Obama, expanded the economy and reduced the 
deficit; neither has occurred under the Republicans.

CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED?

AG Barr, feels that after what the Democrats did to him at the Senate hearings, any decision to forego House hearings, would be Constitutionally protected, by both by the Double Jeopardy Clause as well as the Cruel and Unusual Punishment prohibition.  

FATAL FLAW OF THE SPECIAL COUNSEL LAW

History will assuredly find that the fatal flaw of the Special Counsel Law under which Robert Mueller labored was in allowing the office to fall under the control of the same branch of Government in which the party being investigated headed.

Unless the law is changed, the nation may again find that another man of low degree, lacking integrity, will once again make a travesty of justice.

IF A REDACTED REPORT?

If a redacted Special Counsel report indicates ample grounds for impeaching an official, is there any doubt that said official will desperately want to suppress the unredacted one?

OF THE ABSURDITY OF COUPS AND CAUDILLOS

Only someone who has actually lived through a coup can understand the absurdity of Trump claiming that his government was subject to a coup by a legal process.  There were no troops deployed in the streets; no armored vehicles impeded traffic' no military aircraft buzzing civilian buildings.  Even Erdogan of Turkey, who evoked Trump's version of a coup, possibly to restrict freedoms, actually faced physical danger.  The only risk to Trump has been the possible aggravation of his bone spurs playing with his golf simulator at the White House.

THE RIGHT TO BE WRONG

What feels like a century ago, I audited a few law courses at a small law school near where I worked.  Some things I learned there have stayed with me all my life.  One of the things, said to me, was: Noone has the right to be wrong.  If I were an official of the Trump Administration, faced with the dilemma of either following the dictates of my boss or those of a legislative body capable of levying large fines for failure to comply I would not count on my boss to have any right to be wrong.

TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT

For the Supreme Court to assist Trump in the matter of impeachment, he would have to have them rule that the Constitution, itself, was unconstitutional.  Since the power of impeachment resides solely with the House of Representatives, in response, they might have to impeach a few Supreme Court justices to revert back to the Constitution as written.

TOTAL IMMERSION INTO DOUBLETHINK

Anti-Trumpers have had reason to doubt that Trump's strong points have included logical reasoning and recent actions with respect to the Mueller Report have not helped.  At the same time that he proclaims to all that he has been totally exonerated by the Mueller Report, he wants to prevent his followers from spreading the Gospel by testifying about it before Congress.

At the same time, all this is going on, he wants us to draw a direct connection from his being "exonerated" from Russian collusion and obstruction of justice, to his not wanting his officials to testify in matters completely unrelated to the Mueller Report such as his son-in-law, Jarod Kushner's security clearance.  

It may appear to some of us that Trump is going to take the American people, like it or not, total immersion into Orwellian "doublethink"

MORE FAKE NEWS

Trump has declared, definitively, that ISIS has been exterminated therefore, reports that ISIS killed almost 300 people, in Sri Lanka, on Easter Sunday, is more fake news.  And besides it was Obama's fault that he did not kill the founder of ISIS when Bush had him locked up in Abu Ghraib Prison.

"HIGH FOLLY"

IN 1964, I left the Democratic Party because Lyndon Johnso was getting us into the Viet Nam War because of stupidity.  I became an Independent voter, to this day, even though in recent times I have voted with the Democrats because of the greater stupidity of the Republicans.

Now I find myself becoming more enraged at the stupidity of a part of the Democrats, who, as in 1964, want to take rash action because of what they are told is a principle.  If they think that their best case scenario for impeachment, conviction of Trump in the Senate  is not the best case scenario for the Republicans as well, they should  seriously consider a cranial examination.  Republicans can get off the impending trainwreck by just removing the best target the Dems have by just voting for impeachment and removing Trump from the next election and present an agenda to bring  the country back on track.  Giving the Republicans a chance to knock of the  best candidate that the Dems have, namely Donald Trump, might be considered a "high folly", indeed.

When one thinks of all those othetr shoes ripe for dropping that the Mueller report hints at, possibly enough new ones to fill the days to the next election, and considering that there is little discernable difference between a Congressional hearing and an impeachment hearing, it would be almost sinful to rush into impeachment.

REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR

As a 10 year old, politically aware child, the Japanese attack on Pearfl Harbor, was a seminal eent that I have studied and fre-studied throughout my life.  i rach my brain to find a single Republican that would have denied  the Japanize  involvement in the attack, as did Mr. Trump about the Russians,  No. Mr. Trump, it was not a 600 pound  Hawaiin Sumo wrestler who could have done it, or minimized it like Rudy Giuliana.  No Mr. Giuliani it would not have been O.K. for American citizens to have received information from the Japanese aabout an attack on American sovereignty anywhere in the world including on our own territory.

The only person to vote against the war with the Empire of Japan was a Republican but she did it out of principle and nor fear like her Republican counterparts today. Even Japanese Americans, who fought so gallantly on our side, during the war, even when they were mistreated by their co-citizens, never tried to find excuses for Japan as do Trump and Giulianii for their Russian patrons.

THE SOURCE OF WEALTH

It never ceases to bewilder me how Republicans can extol the wealth and business acumen of members of their party who have gotten rich through fraud and deceit, like Trump, and mock and deride people like Bloomberg, Soros and Ocasio-Cortez for being wealthy, as if to be a Democrat is to take an oath of  poverty.

The fact that these wealthy Democrats have released their tax returns and Trump has not is not even a small factor in Republican opprobrium.  

The way things are going with the Republican brand these days, I wonder if even switching to become Republicans would help raise the rich Democrats because the source of their wealth was legitimate.