Why Not Censure The President?

Russia Gate investigators must be getting warmer.

We know this drill. President Donald Trump deflects from more pressing inquiries into his misdeeds by tossing out destabilizing, baseless accusations -- the "sky is falling"... "Martians have landed."

Time and again, it's like he's a child insisting to his parents that his brother broke the vase by playing ball in the house, when all the while little Donnie was the only one home.

Tweeting that our previous president is a "bad (or sick) man" only more sharply defines the bigoted lines of division in this country. 

And it threatens to tarnish the reputation of a man, President Barack Obama, who has more integrity in his left pinky finger nail than Trump will ever have in his entire body.

Unfortunately, this is what the Deflector in Chief does best. Forget legislating, or looking out for the American people's best interests. He's really good at projecting his own shortcomings and crimes on the other guy.

If President Trump has any evidence whatsoever of the previous administration wiretapping him, he should cough it up. Otherwise, he should shut up.

Either way, there undoubtedly would have been good reason for legally eavesdropping on Trump -- given his seeming bromance with Russia President Vladimir Putin. 

In the meantime, what will it take, what will Trump have to do for one or both congressional house leaders to lay aside their corrupting Republican Party allegiances in defense of their country,  and say "enough"?

When will the House or Senate consider censuring the President?

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

Trump's presidency so far, just six weeks in, has been anything but, "acceptable." President Trump hasn't been acting right from the get-go. His antagonistic, divisive and deceitful tweets and policy signings are actually America's greatest threat.

For the sake of America's stability at home and standing abroad, Trump needs to quit the reckless, groundless accusations, the inciting attacks and blatant lies. And if he doesn't, it's Congress' duty to intervene.

President Andrew Jackson in 1834 was censured by a Wig Party Senate for "withholding documents," an apparently partisan-motivated move. Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton was the first to be targeted by congressional Censure, though the vote fell short.

In 1842, Whigs also settled for voting to censure President John Tyler after failing to get enough votes for impeachment.

A majority vote in either house is needed to censure. Arguably, the censure is a ready made disciplinary tool for times such as these.

Trump is President of the United States. He needs to act like the President. Not a circus sideshow barker.

Other than appointing a special prosecutor to head a probe into President Trump's ties to Russia, censuring the President is the least Congress can do -- and it could help lay the groundwork for impeachment.

Russia Gate. Don't Forget Sessions' Ties To Page

The scrutiny of newly minted United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions' possible ties to Russia should include his apparent relationship with Russian oil operative and President Donald Trump's former foreign policy advisor Carter Page.

Sessions reportedly introduced Trump to Page last Spring. Now, Page is bizarrely defending himself, deflecting questions on his Russian relations of late on cable news.

This is "Russia Gate" -- definitely.

Just Words

President Donald Trump sounds like an old high school football coach searching for his glory days.

The United States will "win again," he promises. But what does that really mean?

Like much of The President's first speech to a joint session of Congress last night, he seemed to say the right things.

But when you dig a little deeper, you realize there's nothing there. Let's be real, when has what Trump said meant diddly?

When has his words measured up to the truth of his actions? In fact, most of the promises the President made Tuesday night, he was already breaking.

Smoke and mirrors baby. Smoke and mirrors. With a discount special of snakeoil. Buy one. Get another free.

One fact checker had the President lying some 50 times in the speech.

Perhaps, the most absurd thing he said was that we need to promote clean air and water for the future -- this on the very day he rolled back President Barack Obama's clean water rules.

The list goes on.

As Bernie Sanders pointed out, it's what Trump didn't say that's just as important as the misleading things he did.

What are his plans for social security, Medicaid and Medicare? Why didn't he offer a peep about climate change?

No matter how even-toned his delivery or appealing his rhetoric, nothing Trump says will negate the chaos he's already created and the damage already done in his first turbulent month as President.

Which Side Is He On?

Which side is President Donald Trump on?

That's the singular, simple, burning question we fellow Americans should be concerned with. Which side is our increasingly indifferent, detached and reckless President on?

America's? Or Russia's?

That's it. You can forget about Trump mouthpiece Kellyanne Conway's insipid plug of Ivanka's fashion line.

Or Trump's delusional talk about inaugural crowd sizes. Or his absolutely baseless claim of illegal aliens voting in the last presidential election.

Or his clownish comments with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday about whether a two-state, or one-state solution with Palestinians was best.

He treated the decades old diplomatic dilemma as if he were deciding whether to get mustard or ketchup on his hamburger. Said Trump casually: "I could live with either one."

Be careful of scrutinizing any one of our presidential imposter's endless list of blatant lies during his tyrannical, turbulent first month in the White House.

The lies about landmark crime rates or non-existent terror attacks.

Never mind the President's fake take on "fake news" in the media.

You can forget all that cooked up garbage -- which is not only designed to alarm, but just as importantly, distract from the one monumental question that we all should be asking.

Which side is he on?

And you, me, we the people, need to insist that Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, expediently get some answers to that question.

Various House and Senate committees may be investigating  one aspect or another related to Russia's meddling in American affairs. 

But for the sake of our country's security, both political parties need to be united in determining the clear extent and nature of Russia's relationship with President Trump and his family.

Certainly, President Trump's entangled web of international business conflicts are at play here.

The writing has been on the wall in glaring, dark letters for months, since we started learning about Russia's hacking of Democratic emails this past summer and Trump's subsequent odd defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Trump's relationship with Russia goes back decades.

We know of Trump's desire to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in the 1990's. We know of his son, Don Jr.'s repeated trips to Moscow.

"We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia," said the younger Trump in a 2008 real estate conference speech in Moscow. 

Donald Jr. told investors that the Trump Organization had trademarked the Donald Trump name in Russia and had big plans to build in Moscow.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. 

How can Trump claim to be a champion of American Democracy, while repeatedly, bizarrely, inexplicably, exhaustively, unrepentantly and exuberantly defending Putin at every turn?

How can Trump consistently, unapologetically stand up for the unsavory Russian oligarch at the slightest hint of criticism, in the same way he impulsively attacks anyone who remotely challenges his own twisted, hateful, divisive policy tweets?

Indeed, what incriminating evidence might Putin have on Trump?

General Michael Flynn's resignation as National Security Advisor earlier this week, makes all the more urgent a joint congressional investigation of Trump's Russian ties.

Flynn apparently lied to Vice President Mike Pence about discussing sanctions with a Russian ambassador prior to Trump's presidency.

But who put Flynn up to discussing those Russian sanctions?

The plot thickens. Flynn's ouster should ultimately be the ticket to Trump's own. 

This stew of intrigue has been cooking far too long. Sooner, rather than later, it's bound to boil over.

So, let's get some answers. Like, now. Most crucially, Americans have a right to know the truth.

Which side is the President on?

Deceiver In Chief

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

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. 

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.