Russian Collusion

Bob Dole And John McCain: True War Heroes; Donald Trump: True Coward, Draft Dodger, And Traitor To America!

Ronald Leave a comment

Today is former Senator, Vice Presidential nominee, and Presidential nominee Bob Dole’s 95th Birthday.

Next month, on August 29, God willing, will be the 82nd Birthday of Senator and Presidential nominee John McCain.

Both Dole and McCain certainly were partisans in the political battles over the last few decades, but both were also war heroes, who suffered and continue to suffer great pain, from their participation in World War II and the Vietnam War.

In many ways, it is a miracle that both have survived so long, and that McCain, fighting cancer, continues to battle with great courage.

Both served their nation in different wars, and did not try to evade a military commitment.

Both are great men, whether one agrees with their political careers and their rhetoric and votes on a myriad of issues.

Then, tragically, we now have a President who has proved to be a true coward, a draft dodger with five deferments (using bone spurs in his foot as an excuse to avoid service, and having the financial connections to evade service while others went to war), and to top it off, a proved traitor to America.

Donald Trump has refused to acknowledge clearly and openly that the Russian government under Vladimir Putin engaged in and continues to engage in collusion to help Trump win the White House over an avowed Putin critic, Hillary Clinton. He has disgraced America while undermining our allies in NATO, and endangered our national security.

And Trump still is an open critic of John McCain as he fights cancer, a true measure of how disgusting and despicable the 45th President is.

So today is a day to applaud Bob Dole, and to pray for John McCain to reach his 82nd birthday on August 29, and to work to force Donald Trump from the Presidency, as a man who has undermined the reputation and image of the office held by others who were great men, and even those not great, at least having dignity and honor despite their faults.

The Need For Top Advisers Around Trump To Resign, Or Lose Their Credibility

Ronald 6 Comments

It is now three days since Helsinki, and the President is totally off the wall in his view of the Russian involvement in the 2016 campaign, constantly changing his language, demonstrating total confusion and mental instability.

And we see his top advisers standing by smiling or having a poker face, and contradicting everything he says when not in his presence.

This includes his intelligence advisers, and his national security team.

Meanwhile, except for the few Republicans who are leaving Congress (Senator Bob Corker, Senator Jeff Flake, Congressman Mark Sanford), or Senator John McCain, who is in his last term even if he survives long term from his cancer battle, no one else is speaking out. There is the additional exception of John Kasich, who is leaving the Ohio Governorship, and also of Ben Sasse of Nebraska (who will face reelection in 2020 but has always spoken out), and Senate candidate Mitt Romney who is keeping his independence, knowing he will win the Utah Senate seat easily in November.

Everyone else is putting their career ahead of the country, absolutely despicable behavior.

As stated yesterday, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman needs to resign in protest, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White Chief of Staff John Kelly, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and others in the cabinet, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, all need to group together and go to the White House and demand Trump resign, or they will announce their joint resignation.

One might say this would create total chaos, but it would be a public statement by the entire group, showing patriotism over political loyalty, and Vice President Mike Pence might be forced to join with them to insist, that for the good of the country, it is time for Trump to go!

We need a Barry Goldwater and Hugh Scott, as with Richard Nixon and Watergate in 1974, and the people named above have the ability to restore their integrity and reputation by doing the right thing, and soon!

Trump-Putin Summit Clear Indication Of Treason, And Danger To Pursuit Of The Entire Truth Of The 2016 Presidential Election

Ronald 23 Comments

Watching the Trump-Putin Summit Press Conference in Helsinki, Finland, brings confirmation that the 45th President of the United States has committed, and continues to commit treason, favoring the Russian Federation over the national security interests of the United States.

Putin won just by the fact that Trump agreed to meet him, with Russia having a weak economy and suffering from economic sanctions put upon his nation by the international community after the invasion of the Crimean area of Ukraine in 2014.

Putin leads a country which has a very small Gross National Product, and has nuclear weapons that are a fraction of what the United States has, and yet Trump makes “friends” and “trusts” Putin, while denouncing Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, and Justin Trudeau.

Trump calls the European Union our “foe”, and has set out to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and continues to denounce the Robert Mueller investigation of Russian collusion in the Presidential Election of 2016.

Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and even Red Scare demagogue Senator Joseph McCarthy are rolling over in their graves.

If any member of the Trump Administration cares more for his nation than his job, he or she should resign enmasse now, or be seen as complicit in “high crimes and misdemeanors”, specifically treason.

Vice President Mike Pence should confer with the Cabinet Officers, and invoke the 25th Amendment Section 4 immediately, or be also declared a traitor to America, with the only way to save his reputation being showing leadership in this greatest moment of threat to our Republic since the Civil War.

For Trump to decide to trust Putin over the national security, diplomatic, and intelligence community is a total outrage. Putin and his team are rejoicing how they have managed to compromise and manipulate a man who should never have been President in the first place, and only won due to Russian collusion.

Putin is responsible for downing of passenger jets; murdering journalists; poisoning and assassinating people in their homes on foreign soil; killing with radiation and military grade nerve agents; and sponsoring far right white supremacist groups on two continents.

It is time for mass marches all over the nation every weekend demanding the resignation, or arrest of the traitor in the White House, no better than Benedict Arnold in the American Revolution, as he has undermined our nation’s defenses against future manipulation of our democracy by Russia, which is sure to happen again.

And the Mueller investigation MUST continue unimpeded, or else the Constitution and Bill of Rights are in shreds! Thirty five indictments, six guilty pleas (including the National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and the Trump Campaign Chair Paul Manafort), and one conviction are just the tip of the iceberg!

If the American people do not come out in droves and kick the Republicans out of control of Congress, then the American people will deserve what they get, a move toward a Fascist, totalitarian government manipulated by Vladimir Putin!

The President of the United States is supposed to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed, and promote the rule of law. Donald Trump has totally failed at this responsibility in favor of being a “friend” of a Russian oligarch. He needs to be brought to justice, and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes—-Russian collusion, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, violation of the Emoluments Clause, and crimes by his cabinet officers, the most egregious of any President in American history!

Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh A Very Political Choice, Reminding Us Of Past Political Wars

Ronald Leave a comment

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh comes across as a very nice man on the surface, with a nice family, and a long history and record as a Judge on the Court of Appeals in Washington, DC.

He is smart enough and well spoken enough, but that is not enough for the Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh is a political “animal”, involved in the Ken Starr Impeachment investigation of Bill Clinton two decades ago, and also engaged in the fight to help George W. Bush stop the vote count in the state of Florida in the Presidential election of 2000.

He also has a clear record of opposition to abortion rights as a devout Catholic who wishes to impose his personal views on the nation, instead of promoting “Stare Decisis”.

He also has a record of opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

So both of these important issues are now in danger as a result of his nomination.

Kavanaugh also has stated that a President should not face indictment and prosecution in office, which makes him a likely ally of Donald Trump in any future possibility of pursuing the President for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, violation of the Emoluments clause, and Russian collusion.

It will be extremely difficult to stop Kavanaugh’s nomination, but the Democrats, if they stay united, and if Republicans Susan Collins and or Lisa Murkowski can be convinced to oppose, it can be stopped.

These are very difficult times for progressives, but it is not time to give up, not yet at least!

The True Heroes Of The Constitution And Rule Of Law: Rod Rosenstein And Robert Mueller

Ronald 11 Comments

In the midst of the constitutional crisis that America is in, whether it realizes it or not, we must give credit and kudos to two men, both Republicans, who are the true heroes of the Constitution and the rule of law—Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Both have come under withering attack by right wing talk show hosts and by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee.

When one has critics such talk show hosts as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, Mark Levin and Jeanine Pirro, among others, and such Congressmen as Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes, Trey Gowdy, Louie Gohmert, Steve King, and others, one knows they are in the presence of true traitors, who are willing to help Donald Trump in his collusion with Russia, a shocking concept, when one considers the past history of the Republican Party.

So the call has been to fire Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein, and to censure or impeach Rod Rosenstein for refusal to hand over significant information that has been uncovered in the conspiracy of Donald Trump and his supporters to cover up crimes. These should lead to his impeachment and resignation, and indictment for not only collusion, but also obstruction of justice, abuse of power, abuse of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, and undermining of the national security and domestic tranquility of the United States.

When the full history of this crisis is written in the future, both Robert Mueller and Rod Rosenstein will be applauded for the sacrifices, including personal attacks, that both have borne in keeping to their constitutional oath of office.

Independence Day 2018: The Greatest Crisis In American History, With Evidence Of Russian Collusion In Our Government

Ronald 7 Comments

Today is Independence Day, the 242nd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

America has gone through many crises and challenges over those 242 years.

But now we face the reality of what is the greatest crisis in our years of independence, with evidence of Russian collusion in our government, and likely continuing into the future.

This is not a conspiracy theory, but reality, as even the Republican controlled Senate Intelligence Committee, under the leadership of North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr, asserts, with the entire committee unanimous in its conclusion that the intelligence agencies and national security apparatus has been accurate in its assessment.

Donald Trump is clearly a traitor, undermining our democracy and our history of proud independence, and ready to sell America down the river.

And yet his party, with a few exceptions, remains unwilling to face the challenge presented by Donald Trump, and the damage he is doing to our national security, foreign policy, and alliance system with the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has promoted a stable world since the end of World War II.

There are widespread feelings of despair and hopelessness being expressed, including when this blogger gives lectures on public affairs and history to groups all over South Florida.

Many feel the country is being destroyed by a vehement base of ignorant, prejudiced, and clueless people who fail to see the damage that has been done by Donald Trump in the three years since he announced his candidacy.

But the nation and its good majority cannot give up, must resist in every way possible, and restore our democracy and heritage, so that our children and grandchildren can live in a land still affected by the vision of the Founding Fathers in the 18th century!

The Die Is Cast: Trump Says He Can End Investigations, Reject Subpoenas, And Pardon Himself! Time To Move Toward Impeachment Or Lose Our Republic!

Ronald Leave a comment

Donald Trump has now declared that he is above the law, and that he can do what he wants with his executive authority.

Trump said in a tweet that he can end the Robert Mueller Investigation into Russian Collusion and Obstruction of Justice, and other charges whenever he wants to.

He has said that he can fire Mueller and anyone else when he decides to do so.

He has stated that he can reject a subpoena to testify from the Special Counsel, and refuse to cooperate.

And he has said he can pardon himself, although since he claims he has done nothing wrong, he does not plan to do so.

This is a President totally out of control, and giving us a warning of future intentions.

If the Republican Party sits by and does nothing to move toward impeachment and conviction, it will be part of a history of destroying the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the rule of law.

The time to take action is now, before it is too late, and we have lost our Republic, so there is no justification for any further delay in taking action!

Donald Trump-Kim Jong Un Summit: Inadequate Preparation And Unlikely Success

Ronald Leave a comment

Donald Trump, after canceling the proposed summit with Kim Jong Un, has reversed course, and has decided to go ahead with the meeting on June 12.

Many observers and experts feel this is a mistake, as it is clear that Donald Trump has inadequate preparation, and faces unlikely success.

North Korea has a history of misleading and lying on agreements, and Donald Trump is too subject to flattery and vanity, and it is feared that he will be taken advantage of by a wily, smarter Kim Jong Un, who wants to add to his stature on the world stage, but has no intention of giving up nuclear weapons.

The idea that Trump allowed the number two figure in North Korea, the spy chief responsible for so much harm over a long period of years, to spend two hours in the Oval Office alone with the President, except for translators, and with no advisers or Cabinet members, is shocking, as who knows what was discussed.

This follows the unwise decision of Trump to allow top Russian figures in the Oval Office last year the day after he fired FBI Head James Comey, for investigating Russian Collusion.

No such private Oval Office meetings have ever happened before under any President of the United States.

We do know that Trump said he did not bring up the horrible violation of human rights in North Korea, the most backward and totalitarian nation in the entire world.

It is not that bringing up human rights will bring change, but for an American President to avoid the topic completely, not care about the people of the nation who live under such dire oppression, is so disturbing.

But then, Trump has a history of courting dictators, including Vladimir Putin of Russia, and the leaders of China, the Philippines, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,and others, while being highly critical of our democratic allies in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, as well as Canada and Mexico. He prefers autocracy to republican democracy or parliamentary democracy as a form of government, and has wished he could be President for life as is now the situation in China.

Donald Trump’s ignorance of history and facts puts America and its national security in a very dangerous position, and now there is news that Trump plans a summit with Putin, shortly after the North Korea summit.

We could be in the most dangerous situation diplomatically in decades, due to the willingness of Trump to forge ahead against the advice of diplomats and his own advisers.

One Year Of Robert Mueller, And Future Of Worst Corruption Investigation Of Presidency In American History

Ronald 1 Comment

Today, it has been one year since Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and the investigation has moved forward with the gaining of massive evidence of corruption, including Russian Collusion, Obstruction of Justice, Abuse of Power, Violation of the Emoluments Clause, and much more.

The investigation has also led to five guilty pleas and 17 indictments so far.

We have seen how massive a conspiracy the Donald Trump campaign and election and Presidency has engaged in, and it is inevitable that the Trump time in office is limited, as the case is much stronger than it was under Richard Nixon 45 years ago.

The question that arises is whether Vice President Mike Pence will be one of the people going down, and even the issue of whether Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, and others are also involved.

The fact that there has been refusal of most Congressional Republicans to speak out and act against the outrages of Donald Trump and his Presidency is going to have a long range effect on the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and the two Bush Presidents, and also reputable Republicans in Congressional history.

This author had written on History News Network (and it had gone viral) that he thought Trump would leave office by this month of May, now reaching the third shortest Presidency, that of Zachary Taylor, but this clearly will not happen.

However, in another HNN article recently, this author set up the likelihood that the fourth shortest Presidency, that of Warren G. Harding, which will be reached on June 20, 2019, 13 months from now, is still a good measure of when Trump will have been forced out of the Presidency by some means, likely ultimate resignation to avoid prosecution of Trump’s son, daughter, and son in law.

Certainly, the nation would be well served to see a man who clearly won the Presidency by corruption, stealth, and collusion, pushed out of office by a nation which gave his opponent, Hillary Clinton, a nearly three million popular vote victory.

A reminder, that all articles published by this blogger on History News Network, are available on the right side of the blog, and total 83 so far since January 2016.

Trump Has Choice: Testify On Mueller Questions With Counsel, OR Be Subpoenaed To Testify Before Grand Jury Without Counsel, And Supreme Court Orders He Testify!

Ronald Leave a comment

With Special Counsel Robert Mueller having prepared 49 questions for Donald Trump to answer, the confrontation between Donald Trump and the investigation into Russian Collusion, Obstruction of Justice, and other accusations against Trump has ratcheted up to a new level.

What it comes down to is this: Either Trump agrees to meet with Mueller and his staff and answer the questions with counsel allowed to be there with Trump, OR he refuses to do so, and Mueller subpoenas Trump to testify before the grand jury without counsel in the room.

If Trump rejects both alternatives, then the situation is appealed to the Supreme Court, which based on history, is highly likely to force the President to testify before the grand jury.

Trump could then plead the 5th Amendment, and refuse to answer the questions, but to do that would be unprecedented, and a case for impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial before the Senate!

This situation could drag out 9 to 18 months, and could run into the Presidential campaign of 2020, as Trump does much more damage domestically, and undermines our foreign policy.

Whether this scenario would convince Republicans to abandon Trump is questionable, so even if an impeachment occurred, the odds of a conviction with two thirds of the Senate in support, is clearly a difficult barrier to overcome.

But if Trump family members are indicted, that could change the whole equation dramatically, as the thought is that Trump would wish to save his family, but who really knows whether that is true, or whether, in reality, Trump is willing to throw everyone “under the bus”, and let his own narcissism rule the day!

Meanwhile, the nation remains bitterly divided and is in a state of crisis unmatched since Richard Nixon, but in many ways, far worse than in 1973-1974!