Congress

Donald Trump: Sadistic Toward His Staff And Cabinet, Action Needs To Be Taken By Vice President Mike Pence And Cabinet Members

Ronald 1 Comment

Donald Trump is a sadist, clear and simple, getting a kick out of obliterating his “enemies”. such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but also loving to mistreat, bully, and humiliate his staff and Cabinet members, either by contradicting them, or openly ridiculing and “hanging them in the wind” in public.

Such a President should be told where to go by his staff, with all resigning, provoking a crisis, which could bring about the Vice President, Mike Pence, utilizing the 25th Amendment, Section 4, allowing a majority of the Cabinet to join the Vice President in asserting that the President is mentally deranged, and that Pence must take over as Acting President under the circumstances, as Trump is a threat to national security and internal order.

One does not have to like his Cabinet members, to deplore Trump’s attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and his teasing of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about being fired if the healthcare bill fails of passage, and the clear pressure being brought against Chief Of Staff Reince Priebus.

Also, there are indications that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is considering leaving by the end of the year, and he and National Security Adviser H R McMaster have been constantly contradicted by Trump on policy.

Trump loves to torment people, as he is a mentally unstable person, who is a danger to cause a war or declare martial law, and it is time for Congress and the Cabinet to speak up and challenge Trump’s authoritarian tendencies before the situation becomes more dangerous.

The nation must come ahead of personal ambition or party loyalty, and only the Cabinet and the Republican majority Congress can do that, outside of the Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the news media, which are doing an excellent job of exposing scandal and wrongs in the Trump Administration.

Trump Goes Ballistic, Condemns Jeff Sessions, And Implies Threat Against Robert Mueller: A President Gone Nuts!

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Donald Trump is certifiably nuts, as evidenced by his NY Times audio interview, in which he attacked his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and implied a threat to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, along with attacking the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and implying that the new FBI nominee, Christopher Wray, would be loyal to him. Trump seems not to understand that the FBI is NOT supposed to profess loyalty to any President, but to the rule of law!

This came after the luncheon with Republican Senators, in which Trump, with Nevada Senator Dean Heller sitting next to him, threatened him if he did not support the horrendous Health Care legislation that cannot get 50 Republican Senate supporters. Trump also attacked one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky, who had not attended the luncheon, and has come out against “TrumpCare”.

Heller just laughed, which was appropriate, and probably enraged Trump, and may have led to his tirade NY Times interview later in the day.

President Trump is coming apart at the seams, and he is more dangerous every day with his access to the nuclear codes, and his “Bromance” with Vladimir Putin, and his alienation of our NATO allies.

This is no longer tolerable, and there must be mobilization of masses of people in every state and in the nation’s capital, demanding his resignation.

The people must rise and demand action, and force the Republican Congress to put them ahead of their own agenda, or else suffer a massive defeat in 2018, which may happen in any case.

It is time for Republicans to stop party loyalty to a President who is very willing to “throw them under the bus”, and has no loyalty to anyone except his own family. It is time for them to move toward impeachment, which is a political act, not a legal act, and can be done as long as a majority of the House of Representatives wants it, and if 19 Republican Senators are willing to remove Trump, based on abuse of power, obstruction of justice, collusion with Russia which borders on treason, and violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

We are in danger of a complete dissolution of civil order, as our civil liberties and national security are at stake with this madman in the White House!

Today is the six month mark of the Trump Presidency, and it has been a literal nightmare, and action must be taken to resolve this nightmare!

America On Verge Of Massive Tragedy Caused By Donald Trump Incompetence, With No Clue To What It Will Be!

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In the midst of the incompetence of Donald Trump, one can sense that America is on the verge of a massive tragedy we are not yet aware of.

Every Presidency is faced with challenges and crises that determine the historical record of that President.

So as September 11 would have a dramatic effect on the reputation of George W. Bush; the Monica Lewinsky scandal affect the Bill Clinton legacy; and the Affordable Care Act determine the image of Barack Obama, the question is what challenge or crisis will mark the Donald Trump legacy, other than the scandal regarding Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, now proved by the revelation of emails and meetings between Donald Trump, Jr and his brother in law Jared Kushner with Russian agents, regarding the 2016 Presidential election campaign.

Now we learn of an unreported meeting of Trump with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit dinner in Germany, in full view of other national leaders, but with Trump alone with Putin and a Russian to translate for Putin, but no one else on the American side with Trump. What in the world was going on? This only adds to the image of Russian collusion, with a President not able to be tracked as to what he was doing at that dinner meeting.

Will it be war with North Korea; or a crisis in relations with Iran; or major alienation with NATO allies; or further tensions with China or Russia; or Trump attempts to destroy civil liberties and civil rights in a manner which promotes open conflict and bloodshed in America?

We have no idea at this point, but a major crisis in either foreign or domestic affairs seems imminent, with a damaged, and mentally unstable Presidency in our midst!

Donald Trump is clueless, ignorant, “out to lunch”, lazy, taking no interest in what is going on in Congress, just interested to sign his name, and display it to the gathered audience!

We have a child, not very bright or motivated, who is leader of the free world, and the world and the nation are in deep trouble, about to get worse!

“The Nineties” Series On CNN, Part 2, This Evening, Examines The Truth About The Bill Clinton Presidency, Warts And All!

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This evening, CNN’s “The Nineties” Series, Part 2, will examine the unvarnished truth about the Bill Clinton Presidency, warts and all.

It will NOT be a whitewash of the Clinton Presidency, arguably the most scandal ridden Democratic Presidency in American history.

Some of the Clinton “Scandals” were conjured up by the right wing hatemongers, no question about that.

But Bill Clinton caused a lot of his own damage, and he cannot be made blameless, and one could say that the Monica Lewinsky Scandal, and other scandals surrounding women, including Paula Jones, disgraced the Presidency.

I wish to point out that when the scandal became public news in January 1998, this author felt that it was a disgrace, and that Clinton should resign immediately, but he refused, and put the nation through hell for an entire year, until he was found not guilty of impeachment charges by the US Senate. It was not an issue of morality, but rather the fact that his behavior could have compromised the national security if any of the women had been connected to Russia or some other foreign enemy, who know how to utilize women spies to blackmail a President or other public figure.

I never believed that Clinton should be impeached, and the hypocrisy of Republican leaders who were cheating on their wives with women, and yet putting Clinton through a constitutional crisis, was infuriating.

But CNN is not glorifying the Clinton Presidency, as much more could have been done during his Presidency, if only the President had known how to behave!

So my suggestion is to watch and think about the damage Bill Clinton’s behavior did to harm the nation, and remember that the first or second paragraph of his eventual obituary will mention that he was the second President impeached by the House of Representatives and brought to trial before the US Senate, after Andrew Johnson.

And now, we face the eventual possibility of the impeachment of Donald Trump, at some point, if he does not resign!

The Donald Trump Jr. Email Explosive Revelations Hastens The End Of The Trump Presidency On Accelerated Pace

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The Donald Trump Jr email scandal keeps evolving, and now it is up to EIGHT participants in the meeting, despite the fact that Trump’s son wanted to be “transparent” and provide all of the facts, but instead we have new revelations daily about the Russian participation in the meeting in June 2016, designed to undermine Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign.

Trump Jr comes across as a deceitful and massive liar, just like his father, and Jared Kushner, Jr’s brother in law and son in law of Donald Trump, looks more and more like a sleazy character, who now has changed his security clearance forms three times, and revealed he had contact with more than 100 Russians, many of them connected to Vladimir Putin.

It is becoming evident that this is a far greater and more dangerous scandal than Watergate, and one can imagine that Richard Nixon, in the after life, is watching, shaking his head, and wondering how Trump gets away with it, when he was unable to do so.

But it is also clear that the Trump Presidency is on an accelerated pace to its demise, with the likelihood of a resignation sooner, rather than later.

Trump cannot be enjoying being President, as he is under constant attack and criticism, rightfully so, but something he is not accustomed to in his privileged life span.

Now that the scandal is directly affecting his family, and the possibility of future indictments as a result, one can assume that while Trump is willing to throw any of his staff or cabinet “under the bus”, that is not true of his family.

In theory, Trump could pardon his son or son in law if they were in legal danger, as Bill Clinton pardoned his half brother, Roger Clinton, of drug charges on his record, right before Clinton left office.

Trump’s mental and physical state is eroding, as he looks drained and older in appearance after just six months in the White House, and his erratic emotional behavior is truly alarming, as he undermines the reputation of the Presidency every single day.

So I can see a scenario where Trump decides he has had enough, that no one can take away the fact that he has been the 45th President of the United States, and that he will always have his followers who will believe in him.

He will wish to fight another day from the sidelines, dividing America for the rest of his life, continuing his obnoxious public persona, making him the most divisive President ever in American history.

And I can foresee that Trump would use his pardon power to protect his family and a few close associates from legal jeopardy, resign after that, and then Mike Pence, likely, despite controversy, would pardon Trump from any judicial or legal action, copying the Gerald Ford model with Richard Nixon.

Of course this would insure that Mike Pence would finish the term, much under a cloud of his own involvement in the Russian collusion, but he could be facing investigation for his own possible statements and actions, and would be challenged for the nomination within the Republican Party. The Democratic Party would be the odds on favorite to win both houses of Congress in 2020, as well as the White House, ending this “national nightmare”, as Ford declared it after Nixon’s resignation in 1974!

Time For Action By Congress On H. R. 19, Authorizing National Women’s History Museum On National Mall!

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The Congress has accomplished nearly nothing under Republican leadership in 2017, but one action they should unite on is the passage of H.R. 19, authorizing the construction of a National Women’s History Museum on the National Mall.

Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York introduced the legislation authorizing the building of the museum on March 30, 2017. It was referred to a Subcommittee On Federal Lands on April 7, 2007, and no further action has yet been taken. There were 127 cosponsors with Maloney, and now an additional 100, for a total of 227, have been added to that list.

Maloney has tried to lobby personally with President Donald Trump, his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife Karen Pence, and Kelly Anne Conway. to join in support of the museum project, but one wonders what the odds of endorsement are from a President who is a known misogynist.

Despite earlier moves to get this legislation accomplished under President Barack Obama, it failed to be dealt with before he left office. In 2014, the Congress voted to create a commission to study the creation of a national museum, and now the time for action has arrived in this 115th Congress.

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine introduced the Maloney bill in the Senate with 11 co-sponsors, but there is little enthusiasm evident to make such a museum part of the Smithsonian Institution, due to other priorities, and the issue of private funding being a long haul.

We are coming up to the centennial of women’s right to vote (19th Amendment) in 2020, and it would be appropriate that we were well on the way to the creation of such a building to honor the role of women, half of our population, which has been mostly ignored until now.

Ironically, though, the Republican Party has become so anti women’s rights, that they are likely to refuse to take action on this, as they work to undermine a woman’s right to an abortion; the right to equal pay; the right to be protected from sexual harassment; and the right to be treated as equals to men in all aspects of life.

Too often, the religious Right has worked against women’s equality, and the Republican Party, the party that many early women’s rights advocates supported in the 19th and 20th centuries, now has taken steps backward in their advocacy of equality.

The Undermining Of Civility In America Long Lasting Damage, Setting Us Back From Progress Which Had Been Made In The 1950s, 1960s And 1970s

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Civility is a lost art in America, with the two major political parties no longer able to work cooperatively for American advancement.

We now live in a society in which most people only read, watch, and listen to those who profess their religious and political beliefs.

A dialogue in which both sides respect their opponents is no longer conceivable, and one wonders what event will unite the American people and allow a return to reasonable discourse.

Will we ever have a President who is able to appeal across party lines and party beliefs?

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, there was a lot more bipartisanship on many issues, and much more “crossing the aisle”, rather than straight party line votes.

Members of Congress used to spend weekends with “friends” and their families despite different party labels.

That sense of camaraderie and shared commitment to do what is good for the nation is totally gone in 2017.

“Bad Blood” is now the norm, with little interaction, and even basic courtesies and manners are no longer utilized.

After Seven Years, Republicans Seem Ready To Accept Reforms Of ObamaCare Through BiPartisan Deal With Democrats!

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After seven years of constant and vehement opposition of Republicans to Barack Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act of 2010, it now seems as if the Republican Party in Congress is about ready to “throw in the towel”, and accept the continuation of ObamaCare with reforms and changes brought about by bipartisan cooperation with Democrats.

The statement of Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, conceding the likelihood of giving up the fight to obliterate ObamaCare, was a stunning moment of concession, and shows how the Republican Party is well aware of the impact of trying to end health care coverage for 20-30 million under ObamaCare and Medicaid expansion.

The fury of constituents at town halls is very clear, and is a sign that if enough reaction on any injustice can be promoted by those who want to prevent destructive action, it can actually lead to concessions.

But this also makes clear the total panic of the GOP about the upcoming midterm elections in 16 months, which could lead to a Democratic controlled House of Representatives.

There is even concern that the Republicans could lose the Senate, although that still seems a real long shot, as only 8 Republicans, compared to 25 Democrats, face election in 2018.

The only way possible for a Democratic controlled Senate in 2019-2020 would be if all 25 Democrats or their successors retained those seats, highly unlikely, and to win three of the eight GOP seats, but that would mean winning not only Dean Heller’s seat in Nevada and Jeff Flake’s seat in Arizona, but also Ted Cruz’s seat in Texas.

To kick the obnoxious, egotistical, and arrogant Ted Cruz out of the Senate would be a major coup, but to expect it to occur is highly doubtful at this point.

All of the Senate seats will be discussed at the proper time over the next 16 months on this blog, but right now, the emphasis must be on the gaining of the House of Representatives, by winning 24 or more seats, and immediately, the retention of ObamaCare, with necessary reforms!

Trump-Putin Summit Meeting A Clear Sign That Putin Has Trump In His Grasp, Undermines Trump Legitimacy As President

Ronald 16 Comments

The Trump-Putin Summit Meeting yesterday at the G-20 Summit is a clear sign that the Russian autocrat has our President in his grasp, and has undermined Trump’s legitimacy as our President.

All the intelligence agencies are absolutely certain that Russia intervened in our 2016 Presidential election, and helped Trump to win.

Trump has been unwilling to agree to the reality and the facts, calling it “fake news”.

Different versions of the meeting by the Russian Foreign Minister and our Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have emerged from the meeting, and the question is whether Trump really pressed the issue with Putin, and whether he will simply accept their version that they did NOT interfere in our election. A “robust” and “lengthy” discussion, as depicted by Tillerson, apparently was a distortion of the meeting, another lie of the Trump Presidency!

The idea that we had a summit meeting with only Tillerson as an observer, with his close past ties with Russia when he was head of Exxon Oil, is an outrage, when we should have had H. R. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, and or James Mattis, our Secretary of Defense, in the meeting. Between Trump and Tillerson, we had a grand total of 12 months experience in diplomacy, compared to many decades of experience by Putin and his Foreign Minister. This is an outrage that everyone should be alarmed about, and one can be sure many Republicans and conservatives in and out of Congress are truly alarmed!

IF Trump does not continue to challenge Putin and resist their propaganda, he will be permanently harmed, and we will have to worry that he is in league with them to help promote his fortunes, by their planned interference in our midterm elections in 2018 and the Presidential Election of 2020.

Can one even imagine the reaction if Barack Obama had colluded with Russia, or George W. Bush, or Bill Clinton?

Can one imagine how the far Right conservatives and the evangelical Christian Right, which have embraced Vladimir Put as a “Friend”, based on support of guns and opposition to gay rights, would have reacted if, in particular, Obama had done what Trump has done, promote a “bromance” with a man responsible for deaths of journalists and opponents, as revealed by Richard Engel in a one hour special on MSNBC last evening, part of a new series titled “On Assignment”?

The idea that men and women who profess religion could unite with a totalitarian dictator such as Putin only shows the corruption of right wing evangelicals, such as Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham! The idea that right wing commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin, among others, would just accept that Putin is no danger to America, is also a true example of how lacking in substance these characters are, only concerned about making as much profit as possible on their propaganda, and no concern about American national security!

The way things look now, Donald Trump is truly the “Manchurian Candidate”, and we are permitting the Russians to infiltrate and undermine our political system with equanimity, instead of with alarm!

The Media Created Donald Trump, And The Media Will Destroy Him, With The Truth About His Corruption And Malfeasance!

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The news media created Donald Trump, giving him lavish coverage and publicity, and enabling him to gain public support with his over the top proposals, which any sane person could have realized was political hype at its worst.

Donald Trump has become the worst con man in American political history, but it is the news media that will bring him down, ultimately, through their thorough, hard hitting exposing of his corruption, and his collusion with the Russians, with more evidence every day of his transgressions.

Plaudits are due to the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, CNN, and many other media sites and journalists, who are doing the detective work that will help the Special Counsel Robert Mueller collect the dots that will force Trump out of office sometime next year.

Trump is running scared, acting guilty, and his continued assaults on the news media are a threat to American democracy, but he will not win out in the end, one can be assured. He has degraded the Presidency, and it will take time and healing to recover the prestige and dignity of the office after he is forced out.

Just as Richard Nixon had his “Waterloo”, so will Donald Trump, as long as people understand it will take time and patience, but that it will happen, whether the Republican Congress wants it or not, as the American people will demand transparency and action as the evidence grows toward the inevitable step to remove Trump. One author, Frank Rich, in New York Magazine, has said we are in July 1973 in the Nixon crisis, and that in about another year, as with Nixon, Trump will be forced out.

We survived earlier constitutional crises in the Civil War era, and the Watergate era, and we will survive once again, with media having a large share of the credit, utilizing the term–“The truth shall set you free!”

And for those who fear Vice President Mike Pence becoming President, there is no question that he would be the most extreme right wing President in history, but the removal of Trump will help to temper him in his actions and statements, particularly once a Democratic House of Representatives becomes his “watchdog”. And even if we have a continued Republican Senate, which is highly likely, not much will be accomplished, with the reality that the House of Representatives controls all money bills.

As much as Pence is a problem, he is not mentally unhinged and unstable as Donald Trump has proved to be, and the way he comes to power will make it more difficult for him to accomplish many of his goals, as long as the Democrats gain the 24 or more seats needed to win control of the House, and that must be the goal in the next 16 months until the midterms in November 2018.