Speaker Of The House Mike Johnson

Trump State Of The Union Address: Highly Divisive And Lies, Lies, Lies! :(

Ronald 14 Comments

Donald Trump gave the longest State of the Union speech ever delivered last evening, about 9,900 words lasting about 100 minutes, surpassing Bill Clinton’s State of the Union speech in 2000.

The speech was highly, extremely divisive, unusual as Presidents usually try to promote a sense of unity when giving the State of the Union address, even with the opposition party, but instead Trump was gloating about his victory, which he exaggerated regarding its magnitude.

Trump, as usual, lied, lied, and lied some more, distorting and exaggerating reality, facts, and truth.

Trump lied about Joe Biden’s record, calling him the worst President in US History (which was an example of projection about himself).

Trump also took a dig against Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the primary promoter of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, that became law under Barack Obama, but now is on the chopping block.

Trump also claimed that there are people over 100 years of age, up to 300 years old, who are collecting Social Security, a clearcut attack on that program that has existed for 90 years since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. There is fear that Social Security may not be paid in future months, due to the claims of waste, fraud, and abuse that are totally preposterous, and with layoffs of civil service employees in that agency.

Trump also promoted the idea of seizing the Panama Canal and taking over Greenland from Denmark, which will antagonize Latin America and NATO respectively, as Trump promotes “imperialism”.

Watching the smirks of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance was infuriating, as the nation clearly is evenly divided, but there was no interest in crossing the aisle and promoting cooperation, with the Congress more divisive and the majority unconcerned about compromise and negotiation.

Trump’s promotion of tariffs with Canada, Mexico, and China will raise the cost of living dramatically, and soon, and goes against the record of history, that tariffs are counterproductive.

Plaudits to newly elected Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who gave the Democratic response to the State of the Union, and introduced herself to the nation as a legislator who should be respected and paid attention to in the future of the Democratic Party.

The battle ahead for the average American taxpayer and families will be a long, bitter struggle, but the Democrats must not sit on the sidelines, but instead march, demonstrate, organize, and vigorously fight with every bone in their bodies against the extreme right wing tilt of the Republican Party, which has repudiated so much of their heritage over 170 years of their history from Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan!

Major Accomplishments Of Jimmy Carter Under Attack By Donald Trump!

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Jimmy Carter’s funeral briefly united America around the greatness of this President in ways many had forgotten.

Among his multiple achievements that now are under attack by Donald Trump are:

The Panama Canal Treaty, which resolved a basic wrong in the proper way.

The Department of Education, which was separated from its original home, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Major Environmental Accomplishments, the most of any one term President, at least until Joe Biden.

The basic characteristics of Morality, Ethics, Compassion and Decency that Carter represented.

And now, Trump has raised the flag to full staff at Mar a Lago, against the 30 day mourning period for any President who has died, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has ordered the flag in the US Capitol raised for the Trump inauguration, defying the respect due to Carter having been President.

In 1973, Harry Truman had died on December 26, and when Richard Nixon was reinaugurated on January 20, 1973, the flag remained at half staff, but now that respect is being defied!

Predictions On 119th Congress (2025-2027) Races

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This author and blogger senses that the Democrats will regain control of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress, since the Republicans have had a disastrous two years under Speaker Kevin McCarthy for nine months and then Speaker Mike Johnson, having the fewest accomplishments in legislation in more than a century.

While it is very difficult to project on 435 House races, it seems likely that some Republican seats in New York and California are likely to go to the Democrats, along with some gain of seats in the South, specifically in Alabama and Louisiana.

Likely, the majority will be, however, only on a few seats, as is now the situation.

The Senate will likely see a slight Republican majority, with the retirement of Joe Manchin, insuring that a Republican will replace him.

However, if all Democrats running for reelection, and those running to replace fellow Democrats, seem likely to win, that sets up a possible 50-50 Senate, which the Vice President would organize.

It depends on whether Republicans Ted Cruz in Texas, Rick Scott in Florida, and Deb Fischer in Nebraska can keep their seats. If any of them lose, we would see a Democratic controlled Senate.

If however, Democrats Jon Tester in Montana or Sherrod Brown in Ohio lose their seats, the Republicans would have the majority of the Senate.

Republicans In Congress Plan Wrecking Ball On Democrats, Presaging Civil War!

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The Republican Party at large, in both the House of Representatives and Senate, are planning a “wrecking ball”, open revenge on Democrats, due to the felony conviction of Donald Trump.

The Republican Party is declaring war on civility, and advocating open insurrection against the Constitution, the judicial system, and the rule of law, and this is being led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and the multitude of MAGA Republicans.

In so doing, unstable American right wing extremists are being incited to rise up in rebellion, with the potential for mass bloodshed and violence throughout the nation.

The likelihood of a new wave of assassinations of public leaders, as occurred in the 1960s, but on a much greater scale, is becoming a reality, as we commemorate today the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, two months after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968.

This level of threat is a clarion call that could make for a level of violence reminiscent of the pre Civil War period in the 1850s.

This is no laughing matter, as the breakdown of law and order would also endanger America’s position in a world with major threats from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

Mike Johnson, The Religious Hypocrite And Underminer Of The Rule Of Law!

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America is, unfortunately, saddled with a Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who is both a religious hypocrite and an underminer of the rule of law.

This is a man who claims to be a “good Christian”, and he and his son monitor each other on avoidance of pornography online.

But at the same time, he shows up at the trial of Donald Trump, who has been engaged in illicit sex affairs with multiple women, and arranged a payment with two such women to keep the American people from learning about the affairs before the Presidential Election of 2016.

Trump has had three marriages, and cheated on all three wives, including just after his youngest son was born in 2006, and yet, Mike Johnson comes to his defense.

Johnson and all of the other Republicans who have shown up at the trial of Trump are out to defend a person engaged in illicit and criminal activity, and are undermining the rule of law, common decency, and morality and ethics.

The thought that Johnson is two heartbeats away from the Presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 is horrifying and just another reason to insure that the Democrats win the House of Representatives in the upcoming Presidential Election of 2024.

Imagine if past Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi intervened to defend Democrats facing trial, such as Hunter Biden or Senator Bob Menendez. What an outrageous reaction there would be, but such an event would never occur.

And think back to the Bill Clinton sex scandal, when Republicans were so moral and ethical, but now have switched gears completely!

College Campuses And The Israel-Hamas War

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The Israel-Hamas War in the Gaza Strip in the past seven months has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians, including approximately two thirds being women and children.

It has become the biggest controversy on college campuses in many decades, and has led to massive demonstrations and occupations of many campuses by protesters, and by outside agitators not connected to the universities.

The ugly situation has many tones of antisemitism, endangering Jewish students, advocating violence, and calling for destruction of Israel.

Freedom of speech and the right to protest are basic constitutional rights, but it does not include the right to interfere with normal operation of educational institutions.

One can disagree with the strategy and tactics of the Israeli government, and yet also understand that a nation has the right to exist and to defend itself after the horrific massacre of about 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 by the extremist Hamas terrorist group.

One can also condemn right wing MAGA Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, Ohio Senator J D Vance, and other extremists, who want to employ military force to end the protests.

It is also disturbing that college students often have little knowledge and information, as they rely on social media, rather than established news sources, for their view of the world.

Colleges are supposed to be places for debates, education, empathy, and understanding, not for occupation and calls for genocide against an entire nation and people. To allow a small percentage of students and outside agitators to shut down a campus and threaten those who are opposed to their tactics is reprehensible.

These disturbances on college campuses are undermining the future of universities in the public mind, as extremism, violence, and occupation by many students and outsiders endanger public support for higher education.

It is also making more likely that many commencement ceremonies around the nation will be canceled, and this for students, who in many cases, did not have a high school graduation ceremony due to the COVID 19 Pandemic in the Spring of 2020.

Many of these demonstrators are destroying their education, as many will be suspended or expelled, will face possible criminal charges, and many corporations will be unwilling to hire people involved in civil disobedience without any conclusion.

Young people have a right to their beliefs, but not to stop the operations of universities, as many of these individuals will regret long term their youthful emotions that will not be good for their long term futures.

Every effort must be utilized to end the Israel-Hamas War and to free the remaining hostages, and Joe Biden has a major challenge ahead of him to convince Benjamin Netanyahu to change his strategy that has endangered the international community’s view of the conflict.

This issue could affect the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, bringing back memories of the disastrous Chicago Democratic convention in 1968, that led to the defeat of Hubert Humphrey and the Presidency of Richard Nixon.

Some Reasons Why Donald Trump And Republicans Will Lose in 2024

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Despite conflicting public opinion polls, there are many reasons to believe why Donald Trump and the Republican Party are on the road to defeat in 2024!

Among them are the following:

If one uses Ronald Reagan’s argument in 1980, “Are you better off than you were years ago?”, and use it in reverse, most certainly, economically, the nation is far better than it was in 2020, by any economic statistic! The stock market is booming; unemployment is at a 50 year low; inflation is coming down; and more jobs have been created than under any modern President in a four year term!

Also, Donald Trump brags about ending Roe V Wade, and this ending of abortion rights has become a major motivator among the vast majority of women and the men who love them, and will motivate many voters to be sure to vote and get others to vote!

Donald Trump also tells Republicans to reject the strongest immigration bill in a generation, and the crisis on the border is worse, as a result, and it will reverberate on Republicans in the Fall. With various conservative groups backing the legislation, it can be used as a weapon against Trump in the upcoming election, and harm the party chances in Congress!

The Republican House of Representatives has been a disaster, leading to some Republicans quitting early, not wishing to hang around, and leaving the Republicans with just one vote more than a majority, subject to change at any time, if anyone in their slim majority resigns, dies, or is in the hospital for an extended period. And Speaker Mike Johnson is in danger of being the second Speaker to be removed in the same Congress. So the Democrats have a great issue as they get ready for the election, which should guarantee a Democratic majority in that chamber in the upcoming 119th Congress of 2025-2027!

Donald Trump being indicted on 91 counts in four cases is not going to help promote loyalty of Republicans, as already, there are indications that a substantial number did not want him to run, and instead supported Nikki Haley. The idea that independents or Democrats will vote for Trump is not realistic, and already, he has a record of never winning the popular vote in either 2016 or 2020!

With so many former Trump Administration officials refusing to support Trump this time around, since they see how dangerous he is on foreign policy, and his plans for a dictatorship, this will also strengthen the case for Joe Biden as a center of stability and democracy!

And with Trump saying the January 6 Insurrectionists are “hostages” that he would free from prison is not a way to win support or strengthen Republican prospects!

With all these factors, Democrats have the advantage, but have to be concerned about keeping support of African Americans, Hispanic-Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Arab-Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and the younger Generation Z first time voters.

So there is plenty of work still ahead!

Republican 118th House Of Representatives A Total Disaster!

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The 118th Congress (2023-2025) has been a total disaster, with the House of Representatives controlled by the extremist right wing Freedom Caucus, which deposed Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, and now is moving toward deposing Mike Johnson, because of his cooperation with Democrats to adopt a budget bill and avoid default. Looney Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has taken the first steps to call for possible removal of Johnson from the Speakership.

This chaos has led some Republicans to quit the House of Representatives early including Ken Buck of Colorado and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin.

So now, once Gallagher leaves in April, the split will be 217-213 in the House, meaning the Republicans only have a ONE vote margin!

So any further craziness, and the Democrats will gain control of the House of Representatives, an unbelievable situation!

A Magnificent, Fiery, Combative Speech As Joe Biden Begins The Fight Against Donald Trump And Maga Republicans!

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Last night’s State Of The Union Address by Joe Biden was a magnificant, fiery, combative speech as Joe Biden begins the fight against Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans!

Anyone watching who is objective must admit that Joe Biden did a “tour de force”, and showed vigor and energy for a man who is 81 years old!

Biden has demonstrated perfect capability and knowledge to lead our nation in a difficult national and international climate, but also to care about and promote what is good for the vast number of Americans, not just the wealthy!

It was unbelievable how Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who did NOT do the usual introduction of the President, was constantly frowning and rolling his eyes, to the point that he looked totally ridiculous. Johnson refused to applaud on almost every issue, because he is the captive, as are 95 percent of Republicans in Congress, to the evil Donald Trump!

It was sad seeing conservative Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, a cosponsor of an immigration bill approved by the Chambers of Commerce and the Wall Street Journal, but rejected by House Republicans, mouthing his agreement with President Biden on the value of the proposed legislation.

It was disgraceful how Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled and gestured in a disgusting manner, showing total lack of respect for the President.

The Republicans in the House chamber just sat on their hands, but knowing Joe Biden has become like Harry Truman in 1948, ready and willing to “Give Them Hell” over the next eight months!

Decency and compassion and vision and competence will ultimately win out over the evil and threat to the Constitution and rule of law represented by Donald Trump.

And anyone who chooses to vote for a third party, and most particularly the embarrassing and unstable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, who is no match for his father or the family name, is undermining the struggle to sustain American democracy.

And if by some fluke, Trump wins and establishes a dictatorship, such voters will go to their graves knowing they contributed to the destruction of the American nation as we have known it!

Republican Isolationism Rears Its Ugly Head As It Did Before World War II!

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The nation is back in the 1930s, when primarily Republican Party isolationism ignored the threat of Nazi Germany, and many embraced Adolf Hitler.

Back then, we had Charles Lindbergh, Roman Catholic Priest Charles Coughlin, auto magnate Henry Ford, Ohio Senator Robert Taft, and innumerable others resist the idea that Nazism and Fascism were a threat to American democracy and national security, even after Germany started World War II and conquered France and started the air assault on Great Britain.

Today, we have Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, Fox News Channel commentators, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Ohio Senator J D Vance, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, and most other Republicans in Congress who resist the idea that Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war against Ukraine is a threat to American democracy and national security!

Just as Franklin D. Roosevelt had to battle against these isolationist forces back then, now Joe Biden must do so in 2024, as Donald Trump and his ilk represent a dire threat to the future of the nation!