Monday, January 30, 2017

Time For Congress To Censure Trump

The honeymoon is over.

The Trump train is dangerously close to derailing. And if our elected congressional leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, don't forcefully apply the brakes soon, America as we know it, could be doomed.


Right now, the Republican Party leadership must stop giving Trump a free pass in light of the President's increasing reckless and dangerous decisions.


The new Tweeter-in-Cheat signs executive orders the way he impulsively fires off angry tweets, with minimal forethought and abundant malice. 


And with each passing day, he's proving himself to be not only an immensely unfit commander in chief, but a severe and mounting threat to this nation.


Insipid lies. Baseless claims of mass illegal alien voter fraud. A refugee ban that disvriminates and has wreaked havoc in the lives of the law abiding.


Bumping the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair and Director of National Intelligence from the National Security Council to make room for disreputable, alarmist advisers with anti-Democratic sympathies.


A tweet hinting of "World War III"?


What will it take for Congress as a whole to seriously consider Trump as a suspect actor, if not an outright state enemy?


First and foremost, Congress needs to insist President Trump reverse his hurried anti-American executive order banning refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim majority countries.


Secondly, it's time to discipline the President whose juvenile antics is severely undermining our country's Democratic principles and it's reputation around the world.


Trump's actions already warrant impeachment.


But considering the unlikelihood of that so early in his term, and given his cozy relationship with Republican leaders, impeachment presently seems like a long shot.


But if our legislative representatives in the House and Senate have the guts, they could issue him a formal rebuke by censure -- and tell him to quit  acting up and working to destabilize our country.


Censure, in part, is defined as a "formal, and public, group condemnation" for elected leaders "whose actions run counter to the group's acceptable standards for individual behavior."


From the start, just 10 days ago, Trump's presidency has been anything but "acceptable."


Congress can't sit idly by.


Censure is further described as a "process of Congressional reprimand -- the political equivalent of a strongly worded letter."


President Andrew Jackson was censured by a Wig Party Senate for "withholding documents."


If Congress isn't ready to start impeachment, it has the means to give Trump a heavier slap on the wrist than typical.


Granted, there may be an inherent risk that Trump wouldn't accept a reprimand so graciously -- and then go off more half-cocked than ever. Given his erratic behavior to date, that's a valid concern.


But how else do we reel in Trump's recklessness?


We can't wait. We can't wait to see which nuclear-armed nation he might anger later this afternoon or later this week with a childish tweet. 


We can't wait for a secret bombing mission to go awry.


Just give him time they say? For what? To destroy this country by recklessly running roughshod over our core American values? To risk war? To dismantle the First Amendment?


The President's actions has the whole world on edge. He clearly doesn't appear to be in control of himself, let alone this country. 


And it's the Congress' job to intervene to protect our country and its citizens from what by all accounts is a serious looming threat.

The writing has been on the wall for some time.


Employing the censure could lay the groundwork for impeachment. At this point, censuring the President is the least our Congress could do to protect life, liberty and the American way. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Try Laughing At Trump

The best way to handle President Donald Trump's insipid claims anymore may be to simply laugh in his face.

Taking his bull seriously can have major repercussions for this country. Until he stops acting like a child, we'll have to treat him like a child.

In his opinion, and based on not a shred of evidence, Trump is reasserting the absurd lie that three to five million illegal aliens voted this past election.

He claims dead people have registered to vote (I'd like to see that) and that people are registered in two states.

Maybe he should have made sure his own family members, like his daughter Tiffany weren't in violation first.

Or his vulture capitalist pick for Treasury head Steven Mnuchin. Or his unscrupulous senior advisor and white supremicist media site owner Steven Bannon.

So based on a contrived hunch, the leader of the free world is proffering a blatant idiotic lie to do what he does best: fear monger.

We know what Trump is really doing.

First off, he's distracting from more important issues like his unsettling Russia ties, his sordid intermingled business conflicts around the globe and this week's barrage of controversial executive orders.

Secondly, with his bogus claims of voter fraud, he's laying the groundwork for a new wave of voter suppression tactics in time for the 2018 midterm election

Thirdly, Trump is attempting to bolster his argument for sweeping immigrant reform and his plan to build a wall along our southern border with Mexico.

If the President is truly interested in examing foul play in elections, he needs to watch Rolling Stone investigative reporter Greg Palast's documentary "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy."

Palast's investigations into Interstate Crosscheck, a Republican scheme to disenfranchise minority voters likely to vote Democratic, has found that more than 1.6 million voters have been eliminated from the voter rolls.

Additionally, in Michigan, where Trump only won by some 10,000 voters his past election, more than 75,000 Detroit votes weren't counted due to malfunctioning machines in primarily Democratic districts.

Election fraud, not voter fraud, is where the true corruption resides. And it's Republican operatives like Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Crosscheck originator, and subsequent Trump immigration advisor who are the real frauds.

Trump's groundless voter fraud claims are, of course, just smoke and mirrors from the grand illusionist President.

But that doesn't mean it's harmless. Trump also knows that just getting his mug on a news program, talking about voter fraud, will oddly legitimize the issue in many of his fans' minds.

Trump knows that as nutty as it all sounds, the more you tell a lie and the louder you declare it, the greater the chance people will believe that lie.

So, there's real danger in Trump's lies.
Perhaps, the best thing to do in the face of a Trump fabrication is just tell The Donald right to his face that he's full of it.

He should appreciate the bluntness. And if he uses that phony "Excuse me," line, tell him "No! Excuse me. Why are you lying?"

Just tell him to cut the crap and that he knows it's garbage. And you know it's garbage. And refuse to report it seriously, if at all.

That will take his power away.

There's a real good chance that America chose an insane man as it's commander in-chief.

He either needs a straight jacket and rubber room or he needs to be investigated as a state enemy.

Either way, the man isn't right. Either way, he represents a clear and growing danger to our country.

While posing as a populus champion of the people, Trump is recklessly working to undermine the Democratic underpinngs of our country.

And he's only becoming more emboldened and dangerous with each passing day.

Trump can blather all he wants about playing daddy to all Americans and keeping us safe.

It means squat. Increasingly it's clear that Trump is no daddy figure, but actually this nation's most lethal home-bred terrorist.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Trump's Disastrous Day One

It's been just one day.

And our new presidential impostor Donald J. Trump has been busy. In the process, he's only confirmed his glaring illegitimacy and insufferable pompousness as commander-in-chief.

So, what has he accomplished so far? Several things.

1 - For starters, Trump, with a swipe of his pen made buying a home for an estimated 40,000 first-time home owners more costly. That was within an hour of his swearing in. 

Man of the people?

2 - On Saturday, the President attacked the Press during a speech at CIA headquarters as "dishonest human beings" and threatened that they would "pay" -- whatever that means. 

Adolph Hitler pulled the same sort of crap on the Press, by the way. More projecting of his own unbridled dishonesty. 

3 - Trump apparently was angry with the Press for not agreeing with his stupid lie, exaggerating the size of the crowds at his inauguration.

4 - A White House order silenced the Washington DC Park Service which was tweeting about the huge crowds for the Womens March on Washington earlier today. (Sounds like a free speech issue to me.) 

5 - Also on Friday, the new White House website uploaded a statement on Trump's plan to eliminate some energy regulations designed to guard against climate change.

6 - And Donald's braggadocio angered CIA Director John Brennan -- again.

After his isolationist inauguration speech with authoritarian overtones, that gave much lip service to taking care of Americans, President Trump assumed his "Apprentice" role in the Oval Office, and nixed President Obama's cost saving measure for new home seekers, raising mortgages by an average $500 for an estimated 40,000 families.

Shortly after the inauguration, the White House website added "An America First Energy Plan" that states Trump's commitment to "eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as (President Barack Obama's) Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. Rule."

On Saturday, Trump's penchant for grandiosity and hypocrisy was alive and well when he criticized the Press.

He claimed the crowds reached to the Washington Monument when photos show it clearly didn't. He was angry the Press didn't confirm his lie.

The fact is that Trump's inaugural attendance was paltry compared to President Barack Obama's first inauguration. 

Additionally, the Womens March on Washington drew an estimated 500,000 -- about twice the size of Trump's inaugural crowd, which speaks volumes.

Brennan didn't take well to the President's bragging about inaugural crowd sizes while standing in front of the CIA Memorial Wall.

The CIA director said that he was "saddened" by Trump's "disrespectful" behaviour.

Meanwhile, Trump's mouthpieces, seem equally inept at distinguishing the truth from a pipe dream.

Today, Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer bizarrely lambasted the Press for accurate reporting, as queer as that sounds.

Spicer made the most absurd claim of the weekend, so far. (Hey, it's only Saturday night. There's still time.)

"That was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period," whined an angry Spicer. As Spicer's boss may put it himself: Wrong!

Now, either somebody has been smoking something and is suffering from delusions. Or, Trump and Spicer are competing for liar of the year.

Period.

Seriously, it's clear from all this phony posturing that Trump is laying the groundwork for a move that would somehow muzzle the power of the Press. 

In fact, he's been trying to build a case against the Press from the start of his disingenuous campaign.

And that's a very dangerous thing.

That was just the first day, initial 30 hours or so, of Trump's presidency. We only have 1,459 more days to go. Or do we?
  

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Get Your Resolution On

Peace, truth and justice are born of the light.
And that light shines brightest in the darkest of times.

So, life is about to get a little harder.

That's what the writing on the wall says.

We're about to board a train with an intoxicated engineer, who has a reputation for dozing off on the job.

On the surface though, you'd never know that danger lurks just around the first bend in the tracks.

The train is shiny and new, all polished up for the pompous and not so circumspect.

And the engineer is holed up in the cab of the locomotive. You don't see that guy. But he's there. A catastrophe in waiting.

And at any point, the conductor could doze. The train could become a runaway, swaying dramatically from one side, then to the other, threatening to derail at the next sharp bend.

Anyone who has paid attention for the past obscene year and a half, knows that the threat is gravely real. And we can't pretend it isn't.

But that doesn't mean we are bereft of hope. No, this is when we get our resolution on. 

We dig deep, find our better selves, reach out to the "other side" and unite to fight for what's right.

As the Trump train pulls out of the station after Donald Trump's inauguration Friday afternoon, we have to hold tight at every hairpin bend in the tracks and be ready to defend our country's Democratic ideals.

How long before his next Twitter tirade?

Which nuclear-armed nation will he piss off next?

How can he make conflict free decisions for the people with millions of dollars of debt and an entangled coarse web of business interests across the globe? 

How long before the honeymoon is over and he makes good on his threats against our first amendment rights to peaceful protest and free speech?

Will he attempt to muzzle the press, as he has hinted? Who will hold the president to account?

Which side is he on? America's? Or Russia's?

The questions are endless. This should never have gone this far. Everything about it feels wrong.

Absolutely, we must hope and pray for the best. But that doesn't mean we sit idly by in the face of blatant injustice.

We stick together. We find our faith. We listen. We look for ways to work together. We hold our new president and congressional representatives to account.

If they act in the interest of the people, great. If they don't, we let them know.

As congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) said on Martin Luther King Day, we must pay attention and then speak up when we see bad things happening. 

It's that simple. As much as voting on election day and paying taxes, it's our citizens' duty be vigilant and stand in defense of truth and justice, the underpinnings of America.

As a nation we have to make smart decisions about our security, but we can't tolerate demagogic fear mongering that fosters hatred.

Love does Trump hate. And the power is indeed with the people.  

Nothing worthwhile comes without effort. We may be headed for some turbulent, painful times. But it's always darkest before the dawn. 

A seedling has to push it's way up through the dark soil before it can embrace the nourishing warmth of the sun.The birth of new life is painful, but rewards are lasting.

The good news is that, in the two months since the controversial presidential election, the power of the people already has gotten results.

We saw the people's power get results when citizens bombarded House Speaker Paul Ryan's office with phone calls in wake of House Republicans' attempt to trash a House ethics committee by secret ballot.

Result: The House reversed course -- at least delayed the move.

We saw the result of the people's pressure on their elected representatives to push for an investigation of FBI Director James Comey's inappropriate "Clinton emails" announcement days before the election.

Result: The U.S. Justice Department announced earlier this month an investigation into Comey's suspect decision, which by the way promises new possible conspiracy revelations soon.

And most recently, a citizen's petition asking Democrats to boycott the inauguration in light of Russia's election meddling, gained steam after Trump's disrespectful tweets about civil rights era soldier Lewis. 

Result: More than 70 Democratic congressman decided to boycott Friday's ceremonies.

The lesson: The people do indeed have the power. Going forward, we are going to need it more than ever.

We can write letters to the editor. We can write and call our congress members. 

And as needed, we can make enough noise so as to demand that our elected representatives listen -- and act.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Object, Debate, Delay Trump Electoral College Vote

"Let no one decieve you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobediance." Ephesians 5:6

Rise up America-loving U.S. Congressional Republicans and Democrats in this last hour. Rise up and defend your country against an enemy attack.

In this afternoon's joint session of coungress on the Electoral College vote, object to Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States.

Make it a matter of record that you oppose the authoritarian take over of perhaps the most unqualified, reckless, power-hungry, dangerous man ever to be considered for the Oval Office.

If you truly love you're country make a stand. Object, debate and delay the vote until "We the people" have better a understanding of the role an enemy state Russia played in handing the presidential election win to Trump.

Yesterday, our intelligence agencies testified to Russia's role in Democratic Party email hacking and fake news reports designed for Trump's advantage. Additional information will be released to the public in the next few comings days.

Delay the vote. Let's get some more clear answers on Russia's role on the election before we hand the White House keys to a guy who is swimming in controversy.

The president-elect's tangled web of business conflicts with foreign government-owned corporations, including many Russian businesses, should be deeply concerning to every American, particularly its representatives in Congress.

More important than paying taxes and voting your mind election day, it's your patriotic duty, fellow American representatives, to ensure by every legal avenue that this nation's Democratic ideals are protected.

Sure's it's a very long shot to change the electoral colleg vote, but it's a shot that truth and justice demanding taking.

Your objections are crucial steps to ultimately investigating, blocking or impeaching Trump, who by so many disturbing accounts is utterly unfit for the office president.

Speak up. Wake up. Now is the time. The stakes are too high.