White House Chief Of Staff

Erratic, Unpredictable, Concerning Behavior Of Donald Trump: Reason To Limit His Ability To Use The Nuclear Codes!

Ronald 9 Comments

What Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said about Donald Trump, that he could start World War III, is extremely disturbing.

We are closer to Midnight and the Atomic Scientists prediction of possible nuclear warfare now than at any time since 55 years ago, October 1962 and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Where are the Republican Senators and Congressmen, and the foreign policy and defense establishment, at this moment of crisis?

Something must be done to limit the ability of Donald Trump to use the nuclear codes to start a nuclear war against North Korea, Iran, or any other nation, before we witness a Holocaust that will make World War I and World War II look like minor events!

We have an erratic, unpredictable, and maniacal President who is a danger to the entire planet!

The rules must be changed to require that a committee of cabinet members must agree before use of nuclear weapons, whether Donald Trump agrees or not.

The top military people around Trump–Secretary of Defense James Mattis, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly–must collaborate behind the scenes with Vice President Mike Pence, and the four men must insure that Donald Trump cannot, in a fit of rage and fury, which is common these days in the White House, decide to prove his so called manhood by launching nuclear weapons that could cause mass murder of millions of people in North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, as well as endanger the lives of American military in South Korea and Japan, and the America civilian population which lives in both South Korea and Japan.

We are at the most dangerous time of crisis, and Donald Trump is no John F. Kennedy!

Trump In Danger Of Facing Massive Resignations With His Controversial Personality, And Unwillingness To Be Controlled!

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Donald Trump has growing problems with his staff, and faces the threat of massive resignations in the near future.

Rumors abound that Gary Cohn, Chief Economic Adviser; Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; Secretary of Defense James Mattis; Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell); White House Chief of Staff John Kelly; and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster are all having major problems with their boss.

The White House is still in chaos as Trump does not wish to be controlled in any form by anyone, and rages often, which could undermine his own health, and causes worry about his growing level of mental instability.

No President has ever gone through so many people being fired or resigning in the first seven plus months of a Presidency.

It seems likely that September will be the most tumultuous month of the Trump Presidency so far, with so many issues on the agenda, and this after the tumultuous month of August, even with Congress not in session.

But now Congress is back, and it is not just Democrats who are ready to go on the attack against Trump, but also many Republicans, as well as conservative intellectuals and writers.

The pressure is growing on Trump, and with the Mueller investigation in full swing, the Trump Presidency is getting closer to a time when it seems clear that Trump will be unable to handle the pressures of being President.

So the sense of a coming resignation at some point seems ever more likely. It would save the nation from the nightmare it has been going through in 2017!

Dangerous Trend: Young White Males In Teens, 20s, 30s, Joining White Supremacist Groups: What Does It Tell Us About American Society?

Ronald 9 Comments

The shocking demonstration of racial violence and hatred this past week at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville demonstrates a dangerous trend.

To witness the scenes of hundreds of young white males in their teens, 20s, and 30s coming to Virginia, drawn there by white supremacy and white nationalism, and being associate4 with the Ku Klux Klan, neo Nazi and neo Confederate groups, was totally stunning.

It reminded one of Nazi Germany, and among the organizers and provocateurs were David Duke, Richard Spencer, Jared Taylor, and Jason Kessler, all right wing extremists who are antisemites, racists, nativists, and misogynists.

All of this was encouraged by the racist, nativist, miosogynistic, homophobia, and tones of antisemitism in the Donald Trump Presidential campaign, and his initial response to the tragedy was a disgrace, claiming that all sides were responsible for the horrendous violence, including the death of a wonderful young woman, Heather Heyer.

It was sickening to see right wing extremists attack Heather Heyer after her death for being single in her 30s and being overweight, a truly obscene display of how many of this ilk look at women in a very misogynistic and sexist manner.

Trump won the Presidency with a large white supremacist following in key locations, and his Alt Right aides Stephen Bannon and Stephen Miller remaining on his staff as one writes this is a cancer on the Trump Presidency, and another good reason to force him out of office as soon as possible, as he is a disgrace to the office he holds.

But meanwhile, what does one do about these young men with criminal intentions? How were they brought up to hate this much by their own families? This is a true sickness in our society, which portends large amounts of bloodshed and violence over the coming years. For sure, we must insist that the full measure of the law be applied against everyone who uses white nationalism and white supremacy as their mantra.

And it is good that Texas A & M prevents a similar rally in September, and the same should happen with the University of Florida, as this is not the First Amendment in play, but simply pure racial and antisemitic hatred, out to provoke violence and bloodshed.

Trump’s sudden meltdown this afternoon, attacking the victims of the white supremacists and equating both sides in the demonstrations as equals, led White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly to hang his head in shame and shock, as he realized Trump had become totally unhinged. This is further proof of just how mentally ill, and lacking in ethics and morality our President is, and he must be forced out of office for the good of the nation!

The Republican Party must, for its historical record and its dignity, stop pretending that what Trump says and does has no impact on them or the nation. They must show courage and moral authority, or else the GOP is dead!

Military Leadership Ignoring Twitter Rants, And Trying To Discipline Donald Trump: First Steps Toward Ultimate Removal Of Donald Trump From Oval Office

Ronald 5 Comments

It is interesting to note that the military leadership is ignoring some of Donald Trump’s statements on Twitter, and are battling behind the scenes against the more extremist aides that remain influential in the Trump White House.

General John Kelly, the new White House Chief of Staff, is trying to get rid of those who are causing disarray in the Trump White House, and it seems that at some point, he will be able to fire Stephen Bannon and Stephen Miller, both of the Alt Right persuasion, as the only way to get control of the chaotic situation in the Oval Office.

H. R. McMaster, the National Security Adviser, is working at trying to “mainstream” foreign policy, but faces loose rhetoric from Trump, that he is trying to limit, but with strong opposition from the Alt Right extremists, Bannon and Miller, with indications they are trying to force him out. This struggle of McMaster to remain influential is a battle that needs to be won.

Defense Secretary James Mattis has ignored Trump’s statements about eliminating transgender soldiers, with the argument that Twitter comments are not public policy, and it seems clear that he wishes to stabilize the military, and is against any change in military policy on this matter. The hope is that he will succeed in convincing Trump to leave such matters to the military, not to the President’s utterances.

Ordinarily. it would be seen as dangerous to have three recently retired military leaders so influential in a Presidency. but in this case, with this mentally unbalanced man in the White House, it might be the only way to rid the government of extremists that are encouraging him.

Hopefully, it could lead to the ultimate removal of Donald Trump from the Oval Office, when it is clear that there has been Russian collusion, as it is impossible to imagine that any of these three former generals would overlook the facts of the case, when and if they are confirmed.

Patriotism, doing what is proper to maintain our basic civil liberties and civil rights, is seen as the ultimate goal of these generals, to save the country from tyranny.

Hopefully, this blogger turns out to be accurate, in his judgment of what will happen.

Militarization Of Civilian Government Under Donald Trump: A Double Edged Sword

Ronald Leave a comment

The fact that Donald Trump has three top military figures as key figures in his administration is troubling in a way, but also good in a way.

We have never had military figures in top government positions as a group. and so soon after retiring from the military.

Yes, we had Alexander Haig in the government under Richard Nixon, and George C. Marshall in the government under Harry Truman.

But now we have John Kelly as White House Chief of Staff, H. R. McMaster as National Security Adviser, and James Mattis as Secretary of Defense.

This is troubling, as our civilian government is not supposed to have such close association with the military in making policy, and the civilians are in charge at all times.

These men are patriots and good people, but still, it creates unease among many observers.

On the other hand, it seems to be reality that IF it is proved that Donald Trump has committed treason, that they will refuse to cooperate in a coverup, and would be likely to work to force Trump to resign for the good of the nation.

So this might be the way to hasten the demise of the Trump Presidency!

Can General John Kelly, New White House Chief Of Staff, Reign In Donald Trump? Unlikely!

Ronald 3 Comments

Wow, what a week!

First, we have Anthony Scaramucci come in as White House Communications Director and then go on a profanity laced tirade, which reminds us so much of Donald Trump, almost like a mini Trump.

No one at the White House had any issue with this misbehavior, including Kelly Anne Conway, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and the President, who was reported to be very happy with his attack on Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon.

Soon, Reince Priebus, the White House Chief of Staff, is fired, a week after the firing of Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, eliminating the two major connections to the Republican Establishment and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

Meanwhile, the attack on Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter by President Trump continues, and Sessions just shrugs it off, and only says it is “hurtful”.

The President makes a fool of himself and embarrasses the Boy Scout Jamboree with his political comments, and then tells police officers to be brutal with suspects, a violation of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

Then, Trump appoints General John Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security, to be his new White House Chief of Staff, and yesterday, his first day on the job, Kelly fired Scaramucci after only ten days in office, and not yet on the payroll!

The chaos and anarchy is continuing, and one had to wonder whether Kelly can reign in Donald Trump, and his behavior, including his abuse of Twitter.

If Kelly cannot do it, then no one can, clear and simple!

The Trump Presidency has reached a new low, and the calendar schedule for his ultimate downfall has been hastened by what, arguably, has been his worst week in office, although every week has been horrendous!

The Republican Party, Donald Trump, And Russia: Ronald Reagan Is Turning Over In His Grave!

Ronald 4 Comments

The Republican Party is now faced with an incoming President who is cozy with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and whose National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, are also too close to the Russian dictator.

To have much of the Republican Party willing to accept this without complaint is an outrage, and a danger to national security.

Thank goodness for such Republicans as John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio for making clear they plan to put the feet of Rex Tillerson to the fire, and somehow, Michael Flynn, who also believes in conspiracy theories, but does not require Senate confirmation, must be prevented from serving Donald Trump in the White House, where his deleterious impact could be of great harm, outweighing that of Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Ronald Reagan would be turning over in his grave, as Barack Obama said, if he knew what has happened, and so would Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and other dead Republicans, who made their careers on anti Soviet stands in the Cold War, including 1964 Republican Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater.

Yes, the Cold War is supposedly over, and Communism is gone, but is this true? Putin, after all, was part of the Soviet KGB Secret Police, and has blood on his hands, and has gained possibly the largest personal fortune of any human being on earth

We must deal with Russia, but to be naive about it, and give in to flattery, as Donald Trump has done and is doing, is alarming and dangerous to the national security of this nation.

Imagine the infamous Joseph McCarthy, the Red Scare villain of the 1950s, and how he would react to the craziness and lunacy of American foreign policy under a reckless, dangerous, unhinged Donald Trump!

Former Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker Dead, A Major Loss!

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Former Tennessee Republican Senator Howard Baker has died at the age of 88, and his death reminds us of what the Republican Party used to be a few decades ago.

Baker was a man of principle, decency, dignity, and substance. He was a moderate centrist conservative, with the ability to cross the aisle and be bipartisan with Democrats.

He served with distinction in the US Senate for eighteen years, and was Senate Majority Leader in the first Ronald Reagan Administration term, and was Chief of Staff to Reagan for the last couple of years of his Presidency. He also was Ambassador to Japan in the first term of President George W. Bush.

He also sought the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980, against Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bob Dole, and this author considered him, by far, the preferable choice among that group.

He was on the Senate Watergate Committee, and backed away from support of Richard Nixon without any qualms, and was famous for asking what did the President know, and when did he know it?

He was the son in law of former Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen of Illinois, and later married Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum of Kansas, the daughter of former Kansas Governor and 1936 Republican Presidential nominee Alf Landon.

If there were more Howard Bakers in the Republican Party, that party would be so much better off, but Baker would not fit well in today’s GOP, sadly!

Tennessee and the nation have lost a giant figure in the history of American politics and the US Senate!