The Last Day of America

Dante’s Inferno

Today I woke up terrified. It is the last day of questions in the Senate Trial of Donald John Trump and it appears as though Senate Republicans are about to kick the United States as we know it off a cliff. In surrendering their responsibility as a check and balance of a blatantly corrupt Executive they have ultimately given Trump Carte Blanche to behave as he wishes and use the power of the Oval Office in his own interest rather than that of the nation.

These GOP enablers — Senators like Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul — are motivated by fear of a presidential tweet (and whatever Kompramat hangs over their heads) and are setting a precedent that will allow the White House to run amok.

“We will bury you.” – Nikita Khrushchev

Vladimir Putin is skillfully executing Kruschev’s chilling statement made decades ago in the height of the Cold War. In Donald John Trump he found an accomplice so riddled with a combination of ego, ignorance, and circumstance that the Russian Kleptocrat can probably scarcely believe the success of his attack on Democracy. Contrary to what the Republican Congress would have you believe, in 2016 we were indeed attacked as the Mueller report clearly shows.

The GOP loudly decries that the Mueller report fully exonerates Trump, and it’s only the apathy and short attention span of the American people that allow this lie to take root. The report clearly illustrates that the Trump campaign was aided by Russian GRE disinformation efforts and that the President welcomed it. “Russia, if you’re listening.” Mueller’s report states that but only for Federal rules they did not charge Donald Trump with a crime and that, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
Trump’s sycophantic Attorney General knee-capped the report with his preemptive press-conference acquittal and with the benefit of a news-cycle-on-crack the lies of the Republican party declaring the report a Trump victory took hold. Perception is reality, but it is not the truth.

Existential Dread

What is to become of the nation? American law is based on precedent, and if the Senate now holds Donald Trump unaccountable by blocking witnesses he will no doubt use it as a springboard to do whatever he wants. If anyone in the nation believes that he will act in anyone’s interest but his own, they are not paying attention. There isn’t a public-spirited bone in his body, even the ones that developed convenient spurs.

The thin veneer of civilization

There is an undercurrent of truth that Senate Republicans are seeking to explain away, namely that Donald Trump is inherently corrupt and guilty of everything that has been levied at him in the Impeachment trial. The argument by Alan Dershowitz that Donald Trump believes it’s in the public’s best interest that he be reelected, therefore he can do whatever he wants to get reelected, is exactly the kind of semantic and logical pretzeling that makes people hate lawyers. There is no concern for America or the citizens in that farcical argument, but it is enough for Collins, Murkowski, and whomever else is looking for a semantic excuse to be a coward.

What is to become?

My biggest heartache is for my daughter and the other young people of the nation. My fearful imagination conjures up such a future of conglomeration of wealth and power that the ordinary citizen loses the opportunities that are currently available. It’s difficult enough as it is with systemic obstacles to success and gaining station, especially for women and diverse populations.
The Republicans, currently inebriated on the Trump Koolaid, are disinterested in deficits or national debt which is typically their bailiwick. The moment a Democratic president is elected–assuming elections are still a thing– they will immediately shift back to deficit hawks and proclaim that social programs are the sole culprit to the problem, not the lack of revenue due to Trumpian tax cuts for the wealthy or the spending on Quixotic projects like a wall in the middle of the desert. At this point, the most vulnerable will suffer and I fear greatly for our Republic.

#ImpeachmentTrial #DonaldTrump #Armageddon #Hellscape #GOP #Senate

The Dangerous Ideologues Calling Donald Trump’s Shots

It should be readily apparent now, through the hastily implemented travel ban and increasing saber rattling, that the Trump administration is in the business of confrontation. Donald Trump has no previous public service experience, and his political leanings could be generously termed flexible. He’s been a Democrat, and has himself admitted to donating to politicians on both sides of the congressional aisle in order to get what he wants. As an apparent demagogue whose concern is primarily himself and his empire, there isn’t an ideological bone in his body. He has aligned himself with whatever political wind will carry him to power, and unfortunately for the nation he has trimmed his sails to catch very ill wind indeed.

So who are behind these concerning and dangerous policy directions to which the nation has turned? He has somehow surrounded himself with three stunningly toxic, controversial and unelected individuals, which seem to be directing policy.

Trump’s Rasputin, and probably the most well known of the three, is alt-right publisher/filmaker/banker Steve Bannon.  What makes this previously little known (to mainstream audiences) player so dangerous? Probably the most concerning is his belief that we are on the verge of a global war with Islam, and seems intent on hastening the process. His philosophy and intent is clearly demonstrated through his film trilogy.

The least concerning of his dangerous traits–and alone should be enough to disqualify him as a presidential adviser–is his tenure as publisher of the “ultra-conservative” website Breitbart News. Breitbart supported Islamophobic far-right European candidates and featured a website tag for “black crime,” which is eerily reminiscent of the new office in the Department of Homeland Security called VOICE. VOICE, it is conjectured, will publish lists of immigrants which have committed crimes. If so, this is reminiscent of a tactic used by Adolf Hitler to foment anti-Jewish sentiment.

Unfortunately the echoes of history reverberate further in the alleged association of Trump’s Deputy Assistant Sebastian Gorka. The website Forward.com reported that he is a sworn member of the Vitézi Rend, which was under the direction of the German Nazis in World War II. He was photographed at Donald Trump’s inauguration ball wearing a traditional Hungarian outfit which is popular with that country’s nationalist right wing, and wearing a medal that is a “…clear sign he identifies with the Horthy era.” The era identified was between 1920 and 1944, during which the Vitézi Rend aligned with German Nazis. Of course Gorka refutes the claim and declares that he has long advocated for anti-authoritarianism.

The final member of this trinity is a young man who made a brief appearance on the Sunday morning news shows to great effect; his authoritarian message and stone-faced delivery provided fodder for late-night talk show monologues and triggered more fears of a Trump presidency acting like a dictatorship.

Stephen Miller is a Jewish–an odd counterpoint to Gorka when considering the possible Nazi association–conservative raised by Democratic parents in Santa Monica. Spurred to conservative values by Guns, Crime, and Freedom by NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, he transformed himself into a right-wing wunderkind, appearing on conservative radio while in high school.

His right-wing political career had him working for Michele Bachmann and Congressman John Shadegg, finally landing him as an aide to Senator Jeff Sessions before being tapped by the Trump campaign. With the administration he wrote Trump’s RNC speech and worked with Steve Bannon to craft the first controversial “Muslim Ban”. His boss must have thought his way with words would translate well to the news show circuit, but his heavy-handed, obviously teleprompted appearances landed more punchlines than punches.

“The Powers of the President are Substantial and Will Not be Questioned.” – Stephen Miller

In any administration there are aides and advisers which may have controversial positions. However, these three figures in Donald Trump’s administration are particularly dangerous in their extreme, bordering on authoritarian, stances.

There will be arguments about how it’s unproven that Gorka is a member of a Nazi-sympathetic organization, that Bannon does not want a holy war, and that Miller is not an authoritarian. The point is, that any administration of any party should never have members which would need to make these arguments. The mere fact that they even approach the fringes where these topics arise should be enough to disqualify them from public service, and these dangerous, unelected men shouldn’t be guiding policy.

Jim Rohn said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If this is the case, the other two people Donald Trump spends time with would need to be Gandhi and King Solomon to balance the equation.

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How Much is Enough? Five Impeachable Offenses in Seven Weeks?

 

When Barack Obama solemnly took the oath of office on January 20th, 2009, the DOW was a 8,396 and the unemployment rate was nearing 8% with millions of jobs lost just the month before. The reputation of the United States abroad was severely compromised and the pallor of the nation was palpable. It took almost the bulk of his eight years in office, and some argue that it never found its footing, but under the dignified and thoughtful leadership of President Obama, the nation slowly regained the jobs and the reputation lost during The Great Recession.

Eight years later Donald Trump inherited a DOW Jones that was surging towards 20,000 and an employment rate of 4.6%. He proudly took credit for the momentum built over eight years of hard work and rebuilding, in effect being “born on third base and thought he hit a triple.” He spoke of ending the American Carnage in his inaugural address, but for all intents and purposes the real carnage started on January 20th, 2017. In just seven short weeks he has all but dismantled the goodwill of the nation and scarred the moral standing of the office of the presidency so severely, that one wonders if the gravitas of the position will ever return.

The rapid and explosive deconstruction of the U.S. Presidency needs to be halted, and so far no one in a position to do so has acted. Full disclosure, as a layman I have no idea what could be done aside from impeachment and/or twenty-fifth amendment. It would, however, help if there were strong rebukes from members of his own party and as of yet we’ve seen not enough of it.

So to those members of the Republican party who, having seen the displeasure from constituencies all over the country in their town halls and demonstrations on the street, I ask HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

What will it take for them to realize that what we are seeing goes beyond differences in policy? That there is an agenda to the administration that is being guided by forces that do not have the best interest of the United States in mind.

I recall all the candidates on the primary debate stage with Donald Trump and think (and this hurts to say) that I would be eminently relieved to have any of them in the Oval rather than what’s in there now. I would even be more comfortable with Carly Fiorina (ugh) or Ben Carson, because I could believe that they, no matter how much I disagree with pretty much all they stand for, still had the best interest of the nation in mind. Hell, I would practically BEG for Marco Rubio. BEG. I’d bring him bottles of water myself.

So I ask again, how much is enough? Is this enough?

Here is a short list of the impeachable offenses committed by Trump so far (In. Seven. Weeks.), according to Robert Reich on Twitter.

1. In taking the oath of office, a president promises to “faithfully” execute the laws and Constitution. But he is “unfaithfully” executing his duties as president by [falsely] accusing his predecessor of undertaking an illegal and impeachable act.
2. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution forbids government officials from taking things of value from foreign governments. But Trump is making big money of his hotels by steering foreign diplomatic delegations to them, and will make a bundle from China [and Mexico]’s recent decision to grant trademark applications to the Trump brand–decisions arrived at directly because of decisions Trump has made as President.
3. The 1st Amendment to the Constitution bars any law “respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” But Trump’s ban on travel form the six predominantly Muslim countries–which he initiated, advocated for, and oversees–violates that provision.
4. The same amendment also bars “…abridging the freedom of the press.” But Trump’s labeling the press the “enemy of the people” and choosing whom he invites to news conferences based on whether they’ve given him favorable coverage violates this provision.
5. Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution defines “treason against the Unites States” as “adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.” Evidence is mounting that Trump colluded with Russian operatives to win the 2016 presidential election.

So we ask you one last time, dear Republican friends, when will it be enough? The time is now, before it’s too late. Robert Reich has also said that Republicans will impeach Donald Trump, but only after he’s accomplished enough of their unpopular agenda and they can pin the blame on him. However, I fear they are like the sorcerer’s apprentice and their splintered orange-haired broomsticks are flooding the country with incompetence.

Donald J. Trump, on a daily basis, is doing massive, possibly irreparable damage to the country and the Republican brand. The only way to repair the image of the Republican party is to become the reluctant hero. This is going to take some gutsy, free-thinking Republicans to speak out and call for an end to the foolishness and call for the impeachment of 45. I’m a registered Democrat, but I would gladly place the laurels of hero-ship on your head if you’d only put country before party and end this national nightmare.

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The “T” Word

At first it seemed merely curious, the man-crush that Donald Trump seemed to have for Vladimir Putin. Perhaps he simply admired the leadership ability of Russia’s shirtless horseback riding despot, or is it something more? Something a little more ominous?

Let’s take a quick dip in the conspiracy pool. Come on in, the water’s scary.

Some recently revealed information seems to suggest a relationship between the Trump administration and Russia that is considerably deeper than they will admit and possibly illegal. I’m not a constitutional scholar, but if I were I would be looking into the “T” word.

To begin with, let’s look at a baseline for the administration’s credibility when exploring the relationship. When I say administration, it begins with Donald. As he was running for president he claimed numerous times, trying to soften his admiration for Putin, that he had never met the President of Russia.

Just this month, he said in a tweet:

I don’t know Putin, have no deals in Russia, and the haters are going crazy – yet Obama can make a deal with Iran, #1 in terror, no problem!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2017

So bear this in mind when you take a minute to listen to him just few years ago:

So he is clearly, at a minimum, misrepresenting his relationship with the Russian leader. Clearly we cannot take anything he says at his word.

Having established that his credibility in regards to the Russian leader is suspect, we can also look to his affection for Putin. As early as 2007, in an interview with Larry King, Trump professes his fanboy status:

“Look at Putin—what he’s doing with Russia—I mean, you know, what’s going on over there. I mean this guy has done—whether you like him or don’t like him—he’s doing a great job in rebuilding the image of Russia and also rebuilding Russia period.”

Now that we’ve established that the Donald is indeed acquainted with the Russian leader, we can take into consideration the sometimes salacious and recently corroborated Steele Dossier. Information on the first page of the dossier claims that “…Russian authorities had been cultivating and supporting US Republican presidential candidate, Donald TRUMP for at least 5 years.”

The dossier continues, detailing cooperation between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian leadership. In exchange for releasing damaging information on his opponent Hillary Clinton, the Trump team agreed to “…sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue and to raise US/NATO defense commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe to deflect attention away from Ukraine…”

Pretty explosive stuff, that is usually reserved for le Carré novels. Couldn’t possibly be real, could it?

Maybe. Take into account the recent revelations that Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn spoke with the Russian ambassador the day President Obama announced sanctions against Russia in response to hacking the DNC (and the RNC,  but no info released). Russia’s non-response to Obama’s sanctions raised eyebrows all across the beltway. At first Flynn denied the call with the ambassador included any conversations about sanctions, but then he backtracked once it was revealed that US intelligence had a transcript of the conversation. Flynn (through a spokesperson) “…indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up.”

I call shenanigans.

I not only call shenanigans, I also call on Congress to initiate a full investigation into the relationship between Russia, Donald Trump, and the entire administration (which I suspect is occurring behind the scenes at the US intelligence agencies). Take into account a recent remark by a top Pentagon official quoted in an article in  Observer when he says,”…since January 20, we’ve assumed that the Kremlin has ears inside the SITROOM.” The SITROOM, of course, being the Situation Room, the intelligence management center in the west wing of the White House. The Pentagon is going with the assumption that the Russians have “ears” inside of the White House itself. Ponder that for a moment.

The evidence of impropriety is overwhelming, and only one of many ethical, legal, and unconstitutional aspects of the Trump presidency. The dysfunction and danger of this presidency is, well, unprecedented and requires an immediate response . While there isn’t a smoking gun as of yet, the smell of gunpowder hangs over Washington D.C.

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Officially a Conspiracy Theorist

It took Donald Trump to make me an official conspiracy theorist. Conspiracies were always interesting to think about; Bilderberg group, Illuminati, shadow underworld figures controlling things from behind the scenes. I thought about it, but never really gave it too much credence.

But now I’m starting to believe. I believe that forces are controlling the highest office in the land, out in the open, with a man nicknamed the Cheeto, Don the Con, and Donald Drumpf, starring as the Puppet-In-Chief. I believe there are two possible puppet masters, maybe working together, maybe not, pulling Donald Trump’s strings. One, a name that has been floated around for several months now, being Vladimir Putin, and the other, which I am shocked didn’t receive more attention when he was hired, Steve Bannon.

So was it the unverified dossier leaked by aptly named former MI6 agent Christopher Steele that lead me to believe that Putin had his hooks in Donald Trump? I have to admit, that it did help to congeal the thought in my mind. However, the initial indication to me was Trump’s own reaction to being called a puppet in the debates.

His immediate, school-yard reaction, “No puppet, no puppet. You’re the puppet.” was such a transparent case of psychological deflection I’m still flabbergasted. He notoriously has a thin skin, but this reaction spoke volumes about what was really going on in his head. I’m not sure what the situation is, but I now consider it well within the realm of possibility that Putin has compromised Donald Trump.

Obviously the Russian leader disputes that they have kompromot on Donald Trump, but it’s almost laughable that we should take that as reassuring. You can read about Putin’s background yourself, but it seems almost guaranteed that the career Russian intelligence agent could outplay the bombastic, ego driven Trump. It’s not only feasible that Donald Trump would have participated in questionable activities in a Moscow hotel room (being filmed by Russian intelligence), I’d be amazed if it didn’t. The President is certainly not known for his sterling moral reputation.

A Moscow hotel bedroom isn’t the only entanglement in which Trump may find himself with the Russians. Being a simple human of modest means, I can’t even begin to speculate what business transactions may have occurred behind boardroom doors which would cause enough trouble for Trump whereby he would allow Putin to control him and to betray the interests of the United States of America.

It seems that some in the President’s senior staff thinks that he may be compromised as well. The Twitter account @RoguePOTUSStaff details events surrounding the phone call Trump had with Putin.

#UnholyTrinity insistence to monitor Putin call was due to concern POTUS hasn’t told full story about Putin attempts at blackmail.

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) January 28, 2017

After call, #UnholyTrinity do not seem to have had any fears allayed. POTUS behavior during call said to be suspicious. #POTUSindistress

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) January 28, 2017

#UnholyTrinity urging POTUS that if Putin is compromising him to allow them to help. POTUS continues to deny, despite firm intelligence.

— Rogue POTUS Staff (@RoguePOTUSStaff) January 28, 2017

The other, more apparent, puppet master is one that was hired by Trump himself. I’m coming to believe, however, that Bannon is above Trump on the depth chart. We’ve all heard Trump when he speaks off-the-cuff. His vocabulary is not yuuge, and it’s not the best of all time. It’s certainly not as dire and cataclysmic as his inaugural speech in which he describes “..rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape..” This apocalyptic view of the nation (disproved by more than a few metrics) and the language therein belongs more to an individual with a bleak world view, one who seeks to destroy the institution of government. Little wonder then, we find this apropos quote from Mr. Steve Bannon, self-avowed “Leninist” in an August 2016 The Daily Beast article:

“I’m a Leninist,” Bannon proudly proclaimed. Shocked, I asked him what he meant.

“Lenin,” he answered, “wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.”

Donald Trump created the cabinet-level position of White House Chief Strategist for Bannon, and gave it the same heft as the President’s Chief of Staff. Then, in an unprecedented maneuver, appointed Bannon as a permanent member of the National Security Council, and removed from permanent status were the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This makes Bannon the most powerful unelected person in the US government.

Warning; pure speculation ahead.

This “stone cold crazy” (according to former US UN ambassador Susan Rice) addition of Bannon to the National Security Council seems like either a reward or result of coercion. I fail to see how it could be a reward to someone possessing the wealth of Donald Trump, so that leaves coercion. It certainly couldn’t be Bannon’s seven years as a naval officer that gives him more credence that the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Perhaps it’s just my mind trying to wrap itself around the new reality of the United States of America, but for the first time it makes genuine sense that there is a conspiracy at the highest levels of government. Scandal and House of Cards are great television but the current administration makes these shows seem all too plausible. Call me old-fashioned, but I much prefer The West Wing.

 

Money Talks, DC Listens

One thing that came to the fore in the recent Republican primary season, as in all elections, is that money makes a difference. Rick Santorum stated as much when he pointed out he was outspent by Mitt Romney’s deep-pocketed campaign, and it was a war of attrition until the poorer candidates simply ran out of provisions. And so is highlighted the awful truth that campaign funds play a critical role in getting people elected, and the need for these funds leave candidates vulnerable. Unfortunately, not any more so than human nature.

The only problem with our representative democracy is that we have people representing us. People are fallible and easily corrupted. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t watch the news. The constant pressure for campaign funds translates directly to those with money having unequal access and influence to lawmakers.

Money poisons the political process and puts at issue the very legitimacy of our representatives. This American Life recently did a piece detailing the “pay or play” reality in DC, and in it former lobbyist Jimmy Williams recalls taking some clients and constituents to a congressman’s office. Before the congressmen would see the constituents, they called Mr. Williams in and pointed out that his PAC director had not returned calls about donating to the campaign and asked him, now why am I taking this meeting?

Access is now bought by special interests, rather than provided to the people as it should be. This perversion erodes the very foundation for which America stands. If, according to Mitt Romney, “corporations are people, my friends,” then they are people who have an inordinate representation in our government given their ability to donate freely via the Citizens United decision.

Citizens United, speaking of the ruling allowing unrestricted campaign donations by corporations and unions, released the following statement: “Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Citizens United to air its documentary films and advertisements is a tremendous victory, not only for Citizens United but for every American who desires to participate in the political process.”

If, by participating in the process, Citizens United means producing a partisan documentary or donating massive sums of money to a candidate’s super PAC, then they are absolutely right. We would be absolutely free to do so. And, in which case, our congressmen and congresswomen would be more than happy to “take our meeting.”

But who among us are capable of bankrolling a few slickly produced campaign ads or donating five-figure sums to campaigns like the $35,000 Occidental Petroleum gave to Nancy Pelosi, or the $99,200 AT&T gave to John Boehner?

Campaign donations such as these create obligation in our elected officials to the organizations who want to shape legislation rather than the constituents who cast the ballots. The system has become top down; special interests shape the issues and fund the campaigns, and the lawmakers shape legislation that benefits the special interests. The voter is a formality in the process, to be swayed by expensive media campaigns funded by the super PACs and campaign coffers.

Even so, how is a politician supposed to get rich while in office since there are laws against campaign funds for personal use and bribery is technically illegal? Well, up until recently there was insider trading. The potential for disreputable gain was illustrated clearly by the recent “60 Minutes” segment about congress trading stocks on inside information (so called “soft corruption”).

Because some of those in congress were privy to legislation that would affect certain industries, they were able to make financial trades before these laws went into effect, essentially trading on insider information. Technically they were exempt from the laws. But, shortly after “60 minutes” aired the segment, Congress passed the “STOCK” (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act  and President Obama signed it into law, restricting these practices.

Sounds like quick action.

Not so much.

The STOCK act was introduced by Rep. Brian Baird way back in 2005 and died an ignominious death in committee. A law that congress was happy to ignore and let wither on the vine only regained relevance when it was brought to the forefront by CBS. The modus operandi of Congress is clearly to only do the right thing when everyone is looking.

So what happens when one can’t rely on insider trading to make a buck? One must be patient and wait until leaving public office, at which time a lucrative positions awaits. An alarming percentage of representatives get jobs on K street, becoming lobbyists at the very firms that were trying to influence them in the halls of congress. It’s a closed, self-promoting ecosystem and it’s no small surprise that Buddy Roemer, who wants to reform campaign finance and this revolving door, found no traction in the Republican primary.

It’s an uphill climb to reform a system that is richly rewarding to all involved. Well, almost all. There is one glaring exception — the American people. Those that we entrust to make decisions on our behalf are not doing so. They are making decisions that benefit those who donate to their campaigns and who would give them jobs once they leave office. The business of the nation has taken a backseat to the pursuit of campaign funds and personal enrichment.

If the right things are to be done in politics these systematic corruptions need to be removed, plain and simple. The playing field needs to be leveled so those in positions of power can be elected by their merits and not by their fundraising capabilities. And, once they are there, their allegiance must be to those who elected them not to wealthy special interests, corporate or otherwise.