Normalizing The Absurd

(I was told the following "letter to the editor" submitted to the Cape May County Herald earlier this month, was too critical of the Publisher to run in his newspaper. What do you think?)

In Herald Publisher Art Hall's September 6th column -- "Is America Really Flying Apart?" -- he calls for cool heads to prevail in these turbulent times.

That's fine. I agree. But, keeping our heads doesn't mean burying them in the sand. 

What I can't concur with is the Publisher's seeming inability to grasp the gravity of President Donald Trump's inexcusable fascist chaos.

More than once in his recent columns, Mr. Hall has seriously implied that America's present unrest largely can be blamed on discontented Democrats still whimpering over their election loss to a Charlotan.

Just a handful of racist agitators and a bunch of cry baby cupcakes that are stirring the hornet's nest, Hall essentially proffers. That's pretty much it.

Our antiquated two-party political system -- which feeds an "us" versus "them" mindset -- indeed too easily divides.

But these troubling times are unlike any other. They demand that political party allegiances be shed to stand for country.

So, with all due respect, I submit that the Publisher is employing the same blind partisanship he charges the Left with.

And by doing so, he trivializes the President's complete and utter failure to lead; the Publisher comes dangerously close to normalizing what, in so many aspects, is a hideously abnormal presidency.

The only hint of acknowledging Trump's glaring ineptitude as President these past disastrous seven plus months, was to say that he has been "unable to rise above the fray."

Allow me to clarify. Not only does the impulsive President lack any ability to keep his powder dry -- think of his "fire and fury" shot across the bow towards North Korea -- but he is this country's premier agitator.

Fear-mongering is Trump's greatest talent. He purposely has been inciting and dividing our nation for two tumultuous years -- all to pursue a narcissistic scheme of self-enrichment at the people's expense.

Every single cabinet appointee of Trump's represents interests gratingly antithetical to God's people, but favorable to the corporate world -- Big Pharma, Wall Street and fossil fuel mega-billionaires like Charles and David Koch.

Now, so much is at risk: environmental protections, healthcare for the sickest and poorest, a living wage, free speech, a free press, gun control law, Wall Street regulation and national security.

In his column, the Publisher neglects to credit the millions of justice-minded, peaceful protesters across this nation who have held Trump to account since his surreal inauguration -- which he proclaimed would be remembered as "the day the people became the rulers of this nation."

There's  no telling how much worse off we'd be without concerned citizens exercising their First Amendment rights by voicing opposition to discriminatory policies like the travel ban, Trumpcare and ending DACA. 

If Trump really gave a rat's tail about his fellow man, he wouldn't have needlessly tossed a monkey wrench into the lives of 800,000 young immigrants who have called America home from their earliest memories.

If that's how Trump shows his professed "love" for the Dreamers, by so casually and viscerally threatening their American dream​, why would anyone of us for a second think our own American dream is safe under a Trump presidency?

Trump consistently proves how grotesquely unqualified he is to be our commander-in-chief -- whether it's regaling 40,000 Boy Scouts with corrupting stories of shysters at cocktail parties or failing to reject the pledged alliance of hatemonger, former KKK Grand Dragon, David Duke.  

The writing has been on the wall in glaring pitch black letters for endless months now. But still so many, my fellow Christian brothers and sisters included, fail to have "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" the truth.

Such persistant darkness, as perpetuated by the Trump cabal, gone unchallenged only leads to doom. Look no further than Hitler's Nazi Germany.

The American people can't afford to wait for Trump to lay all his cards on the table. By then it will surely be too late.

So, cool heads prevail? Absolutely. But sitting idly by while Trump tramples over our Godly values and Democratic principles​?

Trump Needs To Go

Never has it been more clear that President Donald Trump is in the wrong line of work.

In just the past couple weeks of his brief, tumultuous, autocratic-tinged presidency, Trump has displayed a mystifying knack for making bad situations so much worse.

Trump's utter inability to keep his powder dry in addressing the North Korea nuclear threat unnecessarily placed the United States in it's greatest peril perhaps since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

And the President's failure to reject the hate monger David Duke's professed allegiance to the President -- in the aftermath of Charlottesville's deadly riot -- inexcusably fans the flames of bigotry.

Of course, that's what demagogues do. And nobody's better at it than Trump.

The problem with truly knowing where Donald Trump stands or weighing seriously anything he utters, is that he's Donald Trump.

After nearly seven insidious months of Trump's blatant lies, flip flopping, phony posturing and loads of divisive inciting rhetoric, the President has lost all credibility.

The Narcissist-in-Chief can load up on all the bluster and feigned sincerity he wants, but he's still got no credibility. Zilch.

But while Trump's words almost always ring hollow, they are essentially garunteed to enflame.

And that's what makes him so dangerous.

So right now, the looming questions remain and beg for answers -- before this twisted mess of a presidency ends very badly for the people.

When will Congress step up and put an end to this nightmare?

If there ever was a president who qualifies for Impeachment due to dereliction of duty, it's the former Reality TV star.

When will Republicans snap out of it, forget about absurd political party loyalties and take a stand for their country?

Trump Freak Show Demands Impeachment

It's bad enough that a guy with the demonstrable moral compass of a common garden slug somehow swindled his way into the White House, promising deliverance, but delivering chaos.

In the wake of the White House's Russia-centered scandals in just this past week, it's more than fair to ask: Is there anyone less qualified or less deserving to be President of the United States than Donald J. Trump?

And it's fair enough to answer: No.

Trump's inane intelligence security breach to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office a week ago and his abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey, the day before, cry ineptititude, obstruction of justice and possibly high treason.

Nevertheless, nearly four months into this Twilight Zonish presidency, the right's queer commitment to normalize Trump's hideously abnormal presidency, persists.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday brushed off Trump's sharing highly classified secrets with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, as just more White House "drama," distracting from more pressing Capitol Hill business, like cutting taxes for the rich.

As it stands, the featured freak has escaped from the red and yellow circus tent, highjacked the sideshow barker's box, and is peddling discount tickets just to gawk at an empty tent.

And the suckers are still lining up.

That fact alone is as scary as all of this narcissistic, dictatorial President's erratic, inciting and vindictive tweets and disruptive, divisive actions put together.

After 100 plus days of: corporatist-beholden policy, autocratic attacks on the Press, repetitive blatant lies, persistant childish tweets, unfettered profiteering off the presidency, reckless provocation of world leaders and the firing of key federal investigators probing Trump's Russian ties, Republicans and rabid Reality TV fans can't see it.

They can't see the 15,000 pound, wise-cracking, dancing, pink, polka-dotted elephant in the room.

Both McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan's predictable downplaying of Comey's firing and secrets shared with Russia, United States' advisary in the Syria conflict, only further call into question their loyalty to country over party.

So far, the congressional leaders have dismissed urgent calls from congressional Democrats for a special prosecutor and an independent bi-partisan commission to investigate Trump's Russia connections -- a move Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) insists on before congress considers a new FBI director.

Yet, if there ever was a clear cut case of obstructing justice anywhere in the universe, it seems Trump's firing of Comey qualifies.

Not only did Trump can Comey just as the head FBI investigator was amping up his probe into the Trump campaign's possible collusion with Russia's 2016 presidential election meddling, but the President offered conflicting reasons for Comey's ouster -- his latest of which directly implies he was trying to cover up his own treasonous Russian connections.

 "... I said, 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story,' Trump told NBC News on Thursday, oddly referring to himself in the third person, 'it's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.'"

Whether the President is truly clueless that he doesn't get to decide his own criminal innocence or guilt on such weighty matters as obstruction and high treason, or he is attempting to cover up his complicity with Russia -- or both -- he's plainly exhibited grounds for impeachment.

Period.

Just A Show?

So, was it all just a show? A corporatist ploy?

What good did Donald Trump's impulsive Tomahawk missile retaliatory attack in Syria really accomplish?

Two keys things actually.

It's distracted the American people from the Trump-Russia ties talk. And it's helped resurrect Trump's self-promoted image as a strong leader, a good guy.

Other than that, it was a waste.

In reality, was the U.S. attack anything more than staged "shock and awe" -- ala George W. Bush, whose first 50 bomb strikes missed their targets and killed scores of innocent civilians, children included, in the unprovoked start of the bloody Iraq War?

Bush's, and now Trump's, trumped up display of power and alleged precision was more like "shock and awe, come on."

And why didn't we hear more on the early network news reports about the additional children killed by Trump's strike, ordered illegally without approval from Congress?

The very day after the U.S. fired 49 missiles at a Syrian airfield, military planes were taking off from the same runway there as if nothing had happened.

The chemical weapons stockpile were apparently untouched and another chemical attack was reported Saturday.

But the lives of at least four children, and several adults, who had the misfortune of living too close to the airfield, were over.

Trump's order to avenge the deaths of innocent children, killed more innocent children.

Trump made a good play as a sober leader saddened by the cruel, horrible deaths of children, men and women after the chemical weapon attack early last week.

He made the obligatory references to God and defending America from any similar horror.

Did he finally get religion -- become a kinder, more sensitive Donald? Or was it all just an act?

Anyone whose been paying attention has to wonder if it indeed wasn't a charade, little more than an opportunistic ploy from our master Illusionist president to win back over American hearts and minds.

We can't forget his record on human decency up until now is non-existent. And remember, he is an expert poser, who swindled his way to the presidency.

In the meantime, it must be asked what role the increasingly corporate-owned media played in the whole affair.

The networks untypically chose to air gratuitous, graphic footage of the chemical attacks, as if intentionally beating the war drums.

Then, initial network news reports of Trump's Tomahawk retaliation mentioned nothing of the civilian casualties, while the British newspapers were blaring it in their headlines.

Why?

In the meantime, Sryian ally Russia is reportedly outraged with the U.S. strike (that failed to leave a blemish on the runway), as we also learn that Russia allegedly played a role in the chemical attack.

So, why would Trump risk violating his seeming bromance with Putin by striking against a Russian ally?

Is it possible the American people are being played 'bigly?' The one thing that Putin, Trump and even the Corporate media has in common is deference to the corporatist world.

And there's nothing like a terrorist threat combined with the flexing of military might to empower and enrich the corporatist elite.

Trump has been fear mongering the terrorist threat ever since he emerged as a candidate for president.

It's been almost as if Trump wanted something bad to happen on American soil so he could attempt to legitimize his own illegitimate notions, including the one about "making America (white) again."

It seems that the terrible Syrian chemical attack, of which the networks repeatedly ran graphic footage, was just the sort of alarmist event that Trump was not so patiently waiting to exploit.

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.