Month: December 2018

Donald Trump Has Gone Bonkers By His Action To Withdraw US Forces Fighting ISIS In Syria

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The absolutely worst moments of Donald Trump’s Presidency are upon us.

Trump, totally ignorant and clueless on American foreign policy, has ordered the complete, rapid withdrawal of all US forces from Syria, at a time when ISIS is still a threat, and many enemies gain by our withdrawal.

Russia, Iran, Turkey, the murderous regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and the terrorist group Hezbollah all gain.

The NATO allies–Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada and the rest–, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Kurdish allies who are anti Turkish and anti Assad, all are major losers.

Total disarray and gains for authoritarian governments is the result, and we will rue the day that we decided to leave the fight against ISIS, which is not yet totally defeated.

This is all part of a clear plan by Trump to help his friend Vladimir Putin, and Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and ironically, the major enemy of Israel and Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Our President is clearly a menace, and many Republicans, including Senators Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Jeff Flake of Nebraska, are coming out of the woodwork to express their disgust and disdain of what the President is doing.

This is the time for James Mattis, Secretary of Defense; Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State; and John Bolton, National Security Adviser, all of whom were strong supporters of remaining in Syria, to announce their mass resignation, and call for Donald Trump to resign.

As I finish this essay, Mattis has announced his resignation, making ever more dangerous the reality that there are no real “adults'” advising Trump on military policy.

Meanwhile, the stock market has been in free fall, and it looks as if the government will be shut down over Christmas, due to the insistence of Donald Trump that there be a 2,000 mile built across our boundary with Mexico, an insane and wasteful idea that will not guarantee security.

It is time for Vice President Mike Pence to speak out against the President, and show some guts and courage to speak his mind.

Nearly One Out Of Four Members Of The 116th Congress Will Be Women, All Time High

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The role of women in American politics has grown dramatically in recent years, and in 2019-2020, the 116th Congress will have its highest number of women in history, 102 in the House of Representatives, and 25 in the US Senate.

89 of the House women are Democrats, while 13 are Republicans, and in the Senate, 17 women are Democrats, and 8 are Republicans.

So 106 women in Congress are Democrats, as compared to 21 Republicans, nearly five times the rate among Democrats as compared to Republicans.

Every state except four have had Congresswomen, the only exceptions being Alaska, Iowa, North Dakota and Vermont, but with the first three having elected Senators, so only Vermont has never had a woman represent the state in Congress.

Nearly 38 percent of Democrats in the House of Representatives are women, while only 6.5 percent of Republicans are women.

About the same percentage, 38 percent, of Democrats in the Senate are women, while about 14 percent of Republicans are women. 

35 Democratic women were elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018, to just 1 Republican woman, an amazing statistic.

2 Democratic women were elected to the Senate in November 2018, to just 1 Republican,  plus 1 Republican appointed to fill a seat to 2020.

So clearly,  the Democrats are the party of women by vast margins, as compared to Republicans.

The longest serving Congresswoman ever, Marcy Kaptur, Democrat of Ohio, has served 36 years and will start her 19th term in January.

Nancy Pelosi, the past and future Speaker of the House, is starting her 17th term in Congress, having served 32 years.

And this all began with Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana, elected to serve in 1917-1918, and sponsoring the woman suffrage 19th Amendment.

All Time High Number Of Women US Senators In 116th Congress: 25

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In the 116th Congress of 2019-2020, there will be an all time high of 25 women Senators, including four new members of the upper chamber.

17 of them will be Democrats, while 8 will be Republicans.

Six states will have both their Senators being women, including

California—Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris

Washington—Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell

New Hampshire—Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan

Minnesota—Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith

Arizona—Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally

Nevada—Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen

All of these duos are Democrats, except for Martha McSally, just appointed to fill John McCain’s seat to 2020, after losing the chance to win the seat of retiring Senator Jeff Flake to Kyrsten Sinema.

The longest serving woman Senator is Dianne Feinstein of California, who has been in the Senate since November 1992, and is the oldest member of the US Senate, and if she survives in office to the end of her term in 2024, she would be 91, only the 4th Senator to reach the age of 90 in office, and also would be the woman with more years of service than any other woman Senator.

Patty Murray of Washington has only two months fewer service than Feinstein, so also would have served longer than any other woman Senator.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine started serving in 1997, the longest serving Republican woman Senator.

32 states have had women Senators by 2019, and 21 states so represented in the 116th Congress.

A total of 56 women Senators will have served by 2019, with 36 being Democrats and 20 being Republicans.

And finally, it is likely that four Democratic women Senators will be running for President in 2020—Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Kamala Harris.

Four Potential New England Democratic Presidential Contenders In 2020: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy, Joe Kennedy III

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Four New England Democrats are potential rivals for the 2020 Democratic Presidential sweepstakes.

It is certain that Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts will run, but interestingly, they could cancel each other out in the ultimate finals race a year from now, since they are so similar.

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut is a very appealing younger Democrat in his mid 40s, and this author has good vibes about him having a good chance of going far in the Presidential competition.

And Congressman Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, who looks much like Ted Kennedy, while only 38, is also thought to be considering a run for the White House.

Since there are so many potential contenders, numbering in the high 20s in number, it is simply too early to judge what might happen, and how far these New Englanders might advance.

Donald Trump Being “Assaulted” On Multiple Sides About His Criminal Career, And His Ability To Survive In The Presidency Much Longer Has Diminished

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Donald Trump, a true “Mob Boss”, a “Mafia Boss”, is now being “assaulted” on multiple sides about his criminal career.

His ability to survive in the Presidency much longer has been diminished dramatically by recent events.

The Democrats in a little over two weeks will control the House of Representatives, and will aggressively pursue him and his criminal enterprises.

Trump is being investigated about:

His Presidential campaign

His Presidential transition

His Presidential inauguration

His Presidential Behavior with Foreign Nations

His Real Estate Businesses

His Taxes

His Family Engagement in Crime

His Payoffs to many Women to remain silent

His Behavior at Beauty Pageants He Sponsored

His Misuse of Funds from The Trump Foundation

Trump is being investigated by a multitude of legal authorities in Washington, DC; Virginia; Maryland; New York City, New York State, along with the FBI investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

He is now facing a “living hell” of constant stress and exposure, and the pressure is growing on him, that will, this author believes, lead to his resignation in 2019.

More Turnover In Trump Administration As Two Year Mark Of Term Arrives Next Month

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Yet more turnover is occurring in the Trump Administration as the half way mark of his term arrives in a month.

John Kelly is gone as White House Chief of Staff, and Trump had many people turn him down as Kelly’s replacement , and now the head of the Office Of Management and Budget, former Tea Party South Carolina Republican Congressman Mick Mulvaney, has agreed to be “Acting” head, as his insistence.  Mulvaney is actually worse than Kelly, more outrageous in his extremism, including when he headed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for awhile, with the aim of destroying this signature legislation and agency created by Elizabeth Warren and President Barack Obama in 2010.

And the despicable Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, under multiple investigations for conflicts of interest and widespread damage to the preservation of our environment and the national monuments and national parks, will be leaving by the end of the year.

This is after other cabinet members, including Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Tom Price, David Shulkin, Nikki Haley, and Scott Pruitt have left, all under a cloud except Haley. 

Additionally, Betsy DeVos, Kirstjen Nielsen, Alex Acosta, Wilbur Ross, Matthew Whitaker, Steven Mnuchin, Ben Carson, and Rick Perry have faced major criticisms and investigations over policies and utterances.

This is, without question, the most corrupt and incompetent and investigated Cabinet of any Presidency in all of American history, and two more years to come.

Outrage After Outrage Endlessly, Making It Impossible To Keep Track Of The Level Of Venality Of The Donald Trump Presidency

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As the Donald Trump Presidency is about to enter its 24th month, the outrages grow.

The conflicts of interest are multiplying, regarding Russian collusion, payoff for sexual affairs, business dealings, corrupt family and Cabinet,  constant lying and deception, undermining of the economy, the environment, and foreign policy, and so much more, that it is nearly impossible to keep track of the depth of evil of this Presidency.

Other Presidents had major faults and shortcomings, but none on the level and indecency of this man and the criminal gang that is his family and his staff, government agency leaders, and that third of the nation that has no concern, no compassion, no humanity.

The Democrats and Special Counsel Robert Mueller have a major challenge ahead, to hold this administration and the Trump family accountable, as we are dealing with a cancer on the nation, that is eating away at the great accomplishments of earlier Congresses and Presidents of both parties in past periods, where the two party system was one of different views and policies, but not the extremism and venality now showing itself daily.

What kind of government leader blames a family seeking refuge from violence and poverty for the death of a seven year old girl held in detention without food or water? How can Kirstjen Nielsen, the Secretary of Homeland Security, sleep at night with such a hard hearted, nasty, mean spirited assertion that the US government policy of imprisoning innocent children and their refugee parents, is not a criminal act, an act against basic human rights.

What has happened to the image of the Statue of Liberty, and America being a nation open to immigrants of all nations, desperately seeking safety and opportunity?

Karma is coming to Kirstjen Nielsen, Donald Trump, and all of the evil, corrupt collaborators in the criminal Donald Trump Presidency.

Experience, Not Age, Should Rule In Government, After Donald Trump

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As a result of the disaster that is Donald Trump, it is urgent that Americans elect the next President based on solid experience in government.

We do not need or want anyone who has spent his life in business alone.

We also should not elect anyone who has not had substantial experience in government, although one is not putting a specific number of years of experience as the requirement.

One thing is clear:  Age cannot be a factor, as is now being proved by the masterful leadership of future and past Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  She has demonstrated that she is the right person for the times, but has also agreed that she will leave no later than four years, and give the younger generation an opportunity to gain experience in lower level leadership, so as to take over when she and the other veteran Democratic leaders, Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn, leave no later than 2022.

What is needed is proof of skill in government policy making, and if it is determined that Joe Biden, or Bernie Sanders, or Michael Bloomberg, or John Kerry, or even Jerry Brown is the “right” person, then we simply have to insure that his running mate for Vice President is someone, male or female, who is fully equipped to take over if anything happens to the President who might have reached his 80s in age.

It might also be wise for any of these soon to be octogenarians to make a pledge not to seek a second term, and by choosing a Vice Presidential nominee, be grooming such person for the succession if needed during the term, or for after that term, although, obviously, others could challenge the Vice President for election in the next term.

If, on the other hand, we move toward much younger leadership, let us be certain that such younger nominees have enough experience, vision, and goals to make such person an appropriate President of the United States.

Nancy Pelosi Proves A Woman Can Overwhelm A Bully, A Braggart, A President Who Is Unfit To Be President

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Nancy Pelosi was a great, productive leader of the House as Speaker from 2007-2011, and she will be again.

She was easily the best Speaker of the House since Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, who was Speaker under Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan from 1977-1987.

She accomplished more under the last two years of George W. Bush and the first two years of Barack Obama than any modern Speaker other than O’Neill in the past 45 years, and makes all Republican Speakers–Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert, John Boehner, Paul Ryan–look pitiful by comparison.

The House of Representatives will have a much more complicated calendar for the first time in 12 years, as she will push and promote the Democratic agenda in the next two years, along with consideration of the possible impeachment of Donald Trump.

Her performance in showing up Trump at an open to the press 17 minute verbal dispute in the Oval Office was masterful, and showed she can best a man who thinks he is smart and brilliant, but was shown to be “an Emperor without clothes”.   Trump was humiliated by how Pelosi portrayed him  and his manhood, and has shown, despite her reaching the age of 80 by 2020, that she is the right person to lead Democrats into a hoped for massive victory in 2020 for the Presidency and the US Senate, and retention of the House majority.

44 Retired US Senators Speak Out On Constitutional Crisis, Including Principled Republicans

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The Washington Post published two days ago an op-ed editorial by 44 retired US Senators, calling on the present members of the Senate to show guts and courage and speak up to defend democracy and the Constitution, from the threats presented by President Donald Trump.

Eleven of those 44 were Republicans, of all stripes and beliefs, including Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado; William Cohen of Maine; Alfonse D’Amato of New York;  John Danforth of Missouri; David Durenberger of Minnesota; Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; Richard Lugar of Indiana; Larry Pressler of South Dakota; Alan Simpson of Wyoming; John Warner of Virginia; and Lowell Weicker of Connecticut.

The other 33 were Democrats, including such luminaries as Evan Bayh of Indiana; Bill Bradley of New Jersey; Tom Daschle of South Dakota; Chris Dodd of Connecticut; Russ Feingold of Wisconsin; Bob Graham of Florida; Tom Harkin of Iowa; Gary Hart of Colorado; Bob Kerrey of Nebraska; John Kerry of Massachusetts; Joe Lieberman of Connecticut; Barbara Mikulski of Maryland; Sam Nunn of Georgia; Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia; and Mark Udall of Colorado.

America needs Republicans in the Senate, now 53 of them, to stop defending Donald Trump, and start concerning themselves with the preservation of American democracy.  They need to speak up and challenge and confront Donald Trump and stop accepting his violations of the Constitution.

If they do not, they will  be relegated to the dustbin of history, and the Republican party of Lincoln, TR, Ike, Reagan, Ford, and H. W. Bush will die of lack of principle and commitment.