Month: October 2017

Mueller Investigation Will End The Trump Presidency

Ronald 7 Comments

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is an exceptional prosecutor, a Republican, and someone not any smart person would want to tussle with.

Donald Trump’s Presidency will end as a result of the revelations that are forthcoming, including the unknown, obscure George Papadopoulos, who has pleaded guilty, and agreed to help the prosecution on Russian collusion and obstruction of justice.

It is always the unknown factor that reveals crimes, and Trump is already attacking Papadopoulos as a minor figure, insignificant, and a “liar’.

Imagine, the most magnificent liar in American Presidential history calls someone else a “liar”, a term he loves to use against everyone imaginable, instead of looking in the mirror at himself.

Trump is cracking up in the White House, ranting and raving, furious that he cannot get away with this as he has with his business dealings throughout his privileged life.

Mike Pence could also be in trouble, however, as he remained very close to Paul Manafort, even after Manafort left the Fall campaign months before the election, and could be implicated in lying, along with his running of the transition period, and should have known about the Russian collusion of General Michael Flynn.

This scandal will dwarf the Nixon Watergate and related scandals, and will make Trump perceived as the most corrupt President in American history by far!

Presidents Who Were Most Prolific Authors In Life Or After Their Deaths

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The issue of the intellectual prowess of Presidents is a significant one, in a time of a President who does not display much intellectual interest or talents.

Of course, ability to write and communicate in diaries or in books is not the only area of competence for a President, but we are fortunate that so many Presidents contributed to our nation in their writings.

First, however, is which Presidents did NOT contribute any significant writings in print or in diaries, although many left behind a massive amount of manuscripts, which historians have utilized in their published books on Presidents.

The list would include, chronologically, the following 20 Presidents.

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield
Chester Alan Arthur
William McKinley
William Howard Taft
Warren G. Harding
Franklin D. Roosevelt

A long list of Presidents (24) wrote diaries, Memoirs, or autobiographies, or other published works in their lifetime, or after their deaths, including, chronologically:

John Adams
John Quincy Adams
James K. Polk
James Buchanan
Ulysses S. Grant
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Theodore Roosevelt
Woodrow Wilson
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Harry Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Donald Trump

Of all of these 24 who contributed published works, only a few, however, were voluminous, substantial, and could be described as prolific.

John Quincy Adams, with his 69 year diary in 48 volumes, would be one such case.

James K. Polk. with his 4 volume diary, would be another.

Theodore Roosevelt was extremely active as an author, and Woodrow Wilson was an active academic, which explains his large amount of publishing.

Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter, all with long retirements, were prolific, and Carter has continued to be so.

Barack Obama is expected to join this group of prolific authors, and had two books before his Presidency, similar to John F. Kennedy, who clearly would have contributed more, had he not been assassinated.

So this is a summary of the literary intellectual life of our 44 Presidents!

Joe Biden Looks Ahead: His Diplomatic Experience, His Ability To Unite, His Authenticity May Be The Prescription Needed In 2020

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Joe Biden has started to speak out openly about Donald Trump and the future of the nation and the Democratic Party.

Anyone who has followed this blog knows how much I admire Joe Biden.

I wanted him to be the 2016 nominee, but his son’s death prevented that race, but I do believe, had he been the nominee, he would have defeated Donald Trump among the white working class, the crucial vote in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

No politician is perfect, but Joe Biden still stirs the imagination of millions of Democrats and the American people.

His career of 36 years in the US Senate and eight years as Vice President is unmatched. His diplomatic experience, his ability to unite, and his authenticity may be the prescription needed in 2020.

His popularity and respect among Republicans and Democrats is unprecedented for a modern political leader.

The fact that he will be 78 years old days after the 2020 election causes him to be considered not a good choice for 2020.

But just as gender and race should not be barriers, even age should not be, as some older leaders have succeeded, such as Konrad Adenauer of West Germany and Winston Churchill of Great Britain.

This is not an endorsement of Biden for 2020, as ideally, a younger, fresher candidate is highly preferable.

But if Biden runs, and the people in primaries and caucuses want him, why not have him as the nominee in 2020, but with a much younger and well qualified Vice President just in case of tragedy.

Whether or not Joe Biden ever runs for President again, he is clearly a national treasure to be admired and respected!

Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, And Jimmy Carter

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Former President Jimmy Carter has offered to go to North Korea to negotiate with Kim Jong Un, and President Donald Trump should follow through on this offer.

Carter is 93, in remission from cancer, and continues to be a major figure in his long, 37 year retirement, an all time record.

Carter is a patriot, and might be able to do something to avoid a nuclear war, or even a major land war in Korea, which will kill millions.

There is no guarantee of success, of course, but there is a saying that comes into play here:

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED!

Trump is in deep trouble, but sending Jimmy Carter to North Korea is a plus, and he should, immediately, before his Asia trip, send Carter with Presidential backing!

The Basic Tenets Of Democracy–Truth And Trust–Lacking In Trump Presidency

Ronald 15 Comments

The basic tenets of democracy are a promotion of the truth instead of constant lies, and a trust in the leadership of government, that who is in power can be seen as acceptable to have power.

On both counts, Donald Trump fails miserably.

The man tells more lies than any President or any political figure in American history.

He refuses to admit any errors or mistakes, and never apologizes.

He cannot tolerate opposition, which is basic to any democracy.

He terrifies millions of Americans, who are fearful of the effect he is having on our system of government, and sense that he is going to lead us into World War III.

He consorts with dictators in Egypt, Turkey, the Philippines, Russia, and elsewhere, and overtly praises the strong man leadership in nations, while attacking our allies in democracies.

He is dismissive of women, and one can see that his mixed relations with Great Britain and Germany are due to their having women leaders, Theresa May and Angela Merkel.

He is on the way to being rated the absolutely worst President in American history, and raising the image of failed or terrible Presidents, including Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, and Warren G. Harding.

Donald Trump is a menace to American democracy and world peace and order.

Hillary Clinton 70 Today, And Theodore Roosevelt Born 159 Years Ago Tomorrow: From One Progressive President To Another “Should Have Been” Progressive President

Ronald 10 Comments

Today is the 70th birthday of Hillary Clinton, who should have been the 45th President, and the first woman President.

Superbly qualified and experienced, she won a bigger popular vote victory than many Presidents, including recently, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter, along with others.

But the antiquated Electoral College system defeated her, and clearly, Russian collusion had an effect on vote totals in crucial states, and so, therefore, we were denied her right to be President, and instead have a crooked, corrupt President, who has accomplished nothing more than the division of the nation, and an extremely low public opinion poll rating, and faces removal from office soon, giving us right winger Mike Pence as the 46th President.

Tomorrow is the 159th anniversary of the birth of Theodore Roosevelt, a progressive Republican, who one can be assured, would be shocked and dismayed at the Trump Presidency for a multitude of reasons, but with the environment and conservation being probably the most infuriating issue of all for him. Another issue which would have upset him is changing the rule that controls on corporate campaign finance, limited since his time, are gone since the Citizens United Supreme Court case in 2010.

TR was the 26th President, and Hillary Clinton would have been number 45–so would have been the 20th from 1901 to the present.

They would have been great beginnings and ends of a period of growth of a progressive Presidency, with only a few reversals, under Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover in the 1920s and early 1930s, and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, but with all others, good and bad, bringing SOME Progressive changes, until now with Donald Trump, who is working to undermine all of the changes brought about in the past 116 years of American history.

John McCain, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake: Senate Republican Majority Starts To Unravel

Ronald 106 Comments

The Senate Republican majority needed to accomplish Republican Party goals is rapidly deteriorating.

In the past month, Senator John McCain of Arizona first, and then Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee made clear their differences with Donald Trump.

Now, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona has joined them with a passionate speech on the floor of the Senate.

Additionally, Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Senator Lisa Murkowksi of Alaska, and Senator Dean Heller of Nevada are clearly unhappy with the bullying and recklessness of Donald Trump.

The likelihood of being able to accomplish anything that the Republican Party wants is rapidly disappearing.

With only 52 Senators, the GOP cannot afford to lose more than two, if Vice President Mike Pence were to cast a tie breaking vote on any legislation.

And it is known that there are some Republican Congressmen who also have great unease with the Trump Presidency, as Trump is clearly outside of the norm of appropriate behavior and action in office.

Trump does not have the competence, decency, and knowledge to be President, and he is a destructive force who could destroy the reputation of the party of Lincoln, TR, Ike and Reagan if he is not removed from office as a danger to the nation and the world.

It is time for the Republicans to put the nation ahead of their own selfish, personal interests, and do what is right for the nation, to remove a dangerous man with access to nuclear codes, and the terrifying thought that he would utilize nuclear weapons.

Marines In 43 Countries, And Military In 100 Or More Other Nations: Absolutely Crazy And Self Defeating!

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The tragic events in Niger, where four Special Forces troops were ambushed and killed by terrorist forces, has revealed a secret that even members of Congress on the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate were not aware of.

We have been engaged in operations in that central African nation and others on that continent, beyond those in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Central Asia, and also in Latin America and in South and East Asia.

In other words, we now know we have US Marines in 43 nations, at least, and military presence and possibly more, in at least 100 other nations.

This means we are having influence in three of every four nations of the world, all with the goal of protecting American national security and defenses in an age of world wide terrorism by Al Qaeda, ISIS (ISIL), Boko Haram, Al-Shabab, and other similar terrorist groups.

So besides the issues of Russia, China, Iran, North Vietnam, and the Middle East morass, including Syria and Iraq, we have to be concerned about insurgency in the Philippines; about pending warfare in Iraq of not just Shiite and Sunni Muslims but also the Kurdish minority; and danger of a Spanish Civil War of Catalonia (its capital in Barcelona) and the Spanish Central government; and instability in Eastern Europe in nations once thought to be finally democratic, but instead becoming extremist right wing, including Hungary, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic

At least 43 American military have died under the watch of Donald Trump, and over 10,000 civilians have been killed due to our troops.

This policy of American engagement all over the world is absolutely crazy and self defeating, and only enriches military contractors, while sacrificing lives of our young men and women.

It is a self defeating situation, in which the wealthy benefit, and the rest of us are victims, in one way or another.

Five Presidents Of Both Parties, 40 Years, And Unity, As Compared To Donald Trump’s Divisiveness

Ronald 13 Comments

That was quite a scene on Saturday night in College Station, Texas, at the George H W Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Texas A & M University.

Five former Presidents–two Republicans (Bush and his son George H W Bush) and three Democrats (Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama)—representing all of the Presidents since 1977 except for Ronald Reagan, were together raising relief funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria.

All five had been rivals–Carter vs the senior Bush’s boss, Reagan–Bush Sr vs Clinton—Bush Jr critical of Clinton when he ran against his Vice President, Al Gore in 2000—Obama critical of Bush Jr when he ran in 2008 to succeed him—Carter and Clinton both critics of Obama during his Presidential run and years in office—but they all came together and unified in a manner that Donald Trump is incapable of accomplishing.

All five former Presidents were far from perfect in office, but they all had high levels of popularity at some point, unlike Donald Trump.

Carter and the Senior Bush lost reelection, while the other three won and completed second terms, the first time we had three Presidents in a row finish eight years in office since Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe from 1801-1825.

We have had five former Presidents alive now for the fourth time in American history—1861-1862 for ten and a half months under Abraham Lincoln, until John Tyler died in January 1862, with one of the five former Presidents, Martin Van Buren, living to see eight future Presidents take the oath office—1993-1994 under Bill Clinton for 15 months until Richard Nixon died in April 1994—2001-2004 under George W. Bush for three years and four and a half months until June 2004 when Ronald Reagan died in June 2004.

With the miraculous accomplishment that George H W Bush has passed Ronald Reagan’s age, and will pass Gerald Ford’s age on November, and that Jimmy Carter, three and a half months younger than Bush, has also reached 93, and seems in better health than Bush, although has cancer in remissions, one wonders if it is possible that both Bush and Carter might last longer than June 2020, which would make the longest period of five living former Presidents, with Bush and Carter both being 96 in the year 2020.

That would be an amazing situation, and of course, were Donald Trump to leave office by impeachment, the 25th Amendment Section 4 utilization, or resignation, then we would have for the first time ever a total of SIX former Presidents of the United States alive and well at the same time frame!

Donald Trump: Psychopath And Sociopath

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Here we are nine months since the inauguration of Donald Trump.

It is as if a baby was conceived, and now, after nine months. the baby is born.

And who is this baby?

A literal MONSTER, dangerous to the civil liberties of the American people, and a menace to world peace and order.

We have a person in the Oval Office today who sees no reason not to use nuclear weapons and destroy a nation of 25 million people, because its leader is unstable and reckless, exactly what Donald Trump has demonstrated is his behavior.

We have a person who exaggerates everything,

lies all of the time,

refuses to ever admit a mistake and admit he is wrong and apologize,

attacks everyone imaginable in a concerted campaign to assassinate every critic’s character,

displays ignorance of facts and reality,

attacks freedom of speech and press,

displays totally narcissistic behavior,

has presided over the worst personal and administration corruption of any President since Richard Nixon, and greater in detail than Ulysses S. Grant and Warren G. Harding,

is actively working to create total chaos and anarchy as he splits with the party that put him into office,

promotes a policy of painting himself in a corner and burning his bridges behind himself,

and is clearly delusional and mentally deranged.

So who is Donald Trump?

Clearly, he is a psychopath and sociopath, who is a danger to the nation and the world, who must be removed promptly from office.

He has lost all moral and ethical authority.

He has become more like a Mafia leader, such as John Gotti or Al Capone, rather than a President, and is much more dangerous than any Mafia leader could ever be.

He and his family have already become the most corrupt Presidential family in American history.

It seems that Robert Mueller, Special Counsel, is rapidly gathering a strong case against Donald Trump, not soon enough for his critics, but a case that should be solid on why Trump must be forced out of office over the next few months, hopefully before he takes actions that totally destroy the world order, and gets America immersed in multiple wars and crises, and the total destruction of the accomplishments of Democratic and Republican Presidents since Theodore Roosevelt onward.

This is a bigger constitutional crisis than Richard Nixon presented, something hard to accept, but the truth!