I’ve said this before, but it’s hard to keep up with the political disaster engulfing America in the form of the right wing republican party that sold its soul to the devil back in 2010 after America elected her first African American (well, half African American) president.  The reality is there are MILLIONS of Americans who felt they wanted “their country back” after President Obama was elected which led to the “tea party” that’s “gumming” up the “works” to this day.  And, still, republicans are trying to “cleanse” this nation of anything Obama – despite the FACT their alternatives are HORRIBLE.  For example, their “replacement” of the Affordable Care Act – which they “lovingly” call “Obamacare” – was – true to form – a TAX CUT aimed at the wealthy.  Essentially, that’s what republicans focus on – tax cuts for the RICH.

And, in this present circumstance, the idea that tax cuts for the rich is going to stimulate the economy would be laughable – except, first, I think they may pull it off and, secondly, there’s MILLIONS of middle class households like mine that will actually get a tax increase.  And, mind you, if I thought EVERYONE (above the poverty level) was getting a tax increase – including the so-called top 1% AND the money was going to pay down the national debt – I’d be OK with this.  But, suggesting the same OLD tired line that giving more money to the richest people in America is going to somehow “trickle down” to the rest of us and create more jobs is just – well – ridiculous.  The unemployment level right now is near 4% with 5% considered by many measures to be “full employment.”

Yes, there’s a serious problem with income inequality in America, but to suggest that by giving the top 1% an additional (from what I understand based on this article in Forbes) boost to their “take home pay” ranging from $100,000  per year at the bottom end to well over $1 MILLION per year at the top as a solution to that problem is absurd on its face.  We faced this same ridiculous argument during the Reagan years AND during the Bush/Cheney years.  Whether or not democrats or reasonable republicans (if there are any) can block this fiasco remains to be seen – but, the reality of why republicans are hell bent on getting this through by the end of the year is obvious – it’s one thing many have done a poor job of hiding.  Their benefactors are lining up and telling them if they can’t “deliver” on the tax cuts, the checks will stop coming.

Any one paying attention to American politics over the last few years understands republicans have been finding creative ways to buy off their legislatures.  Around the time president Obama took the oath of office the Supreme Court, in the Citizens United ruling, almost encouraged an avalanche of money into the political process – with no way to prevent FOREIGN money from seeping into the “fray.” (ie Russia)  This (foreign) money can easily be “laundered” into the process via advertising dollars which require NO acknowledgement of who paid for it.  Since that time, groups such as the infamous “Koch Brothers” have infested our political process with BILLIONS of dollars – to which, they are now expecting their return on “investment.”  This corruption is SO apparent, it makes it an even SADDER period in American history as “we the people” are forced to watch this – day by day.

It’s almost as if republicans consider this tax cut to be their last chance to FLEECE the American taxpayers before their party faces the wrath of the American voters pushing them toward the “sunset.”  But, it is what they do, it’s nothing new.  YET, there’s one more thing republicans can be counted on – they’ve been doing this almost as long as they’ve been fleecing America’s taxpayers – and, that is to investigate Hillary Clinton.  Now that she has lost in her bid to be president you’d think the investigations would end, but no!  Of course, we have a president who aligns himself with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Rodrigo Duterte the dictator of the Philippines, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkey’s dictator, and apparently admires their ability to deal with both the press and their political opponents in ways reminiscent of the mafia.  So attempting to prosecute political opponents should be no surprise.

This is third world stuff – and, yet republicans continue to enable it.  It’s in places like Russia, Turkey, the Philippines and other places around the world run by dictators where you would expect political opponents to face constant harassment or worse.  These are places where the press is expected to “toe the line” of the person in power.  Stories of the journalists EXECUTED in Russia, Turkey, and the Philippines are not rare. (I use those three countries as examples because Trump has validated, from his perspective, the dictators from them)  Trump can only dream.  Of course, in America, he can’t have members of the press he doesn’t like “taken care of,” but, he can investigate Mrs. Clinton.  Let’s just hope the Uranium 1 investigation doesn’t last as long as the Benghazi one.  (And, to make matters worse,Trump’s bullying the Justice Department, based on American history, is as an egregious abuse of power as we’ve seen since the days of Nixon (possibly ever), but predictably republicans will tolerate it because, well, they’ve proven to have no boundaries in their support of Trump)

Prior to his trip to Asia Trump’s focus was on the tax cuts.  While there, as usual, he opened his mouth and out  came controversy – this time in his approval of Putin and trashing of our intelligence service.  He’s been busy attempting to walk back another batch of STUPID words while still pushing republicans to fleece America’s Middle Class with the tax cuts as he prepares to come “home,” and sure enough another scandal arrives.  On Trump’s arrival back in America he’ll be forced to weigh in on the sexual misconduct charges against his latest “favorite son” in Alabama, Roy Moore.  Moore has had far fewer (at least up till now) women accuse him of sexual impropriety than Trump, yet it will be Trump republicans will look to in their attempt to get Moore to “step aside.”  This could get a bit touchy.

While republicans are debating whether or not Roy Moore, the republican candidate for the Senate in Alabama is “fit to serve” because (now) five women have accused him of various charges of sexual assault when they were young ladies they are defending THEIR president who faced charges by SIXTEEN women of sexual harassment (of varying degrees) along with Trump’s BRAGGING about walking into the dressing rooms of beauty pageants he was sponsoring while the contestants were undressed – including the Teen USA pageant where the girls were 15 to 16 years old.  Trump’s claim:  “When you’re famous they just let you do it” after bragging that he can just grab a woman’s “pussy” with no repercussions.

Now, it was reported today, republicans were waiting for Trump to weigh in on the issue with Moore – which would be like “the pot calling the kettle black.”  What on earth has this country deteriorated to?  In Moore’s case I have to say the accusations of the women are totally believable – although, to be fair, it’s a “he said, THEY said” situation.  In my mind, I believe the republicans in Congress are MORE concerned with his other BAGGAGE to the point where they “believe” the accusers.  It’s almost as if they “HAVE” to believe them based on the current climate of men being accused of sexual harassment almost daily in the news.  Yet, Trump actually ADMITTED on the Access Hollywood tape (or should I say “bragged”) that he’s a sexual predator – and, yet the republican “base” (supposedly made up of predominantly “Evangelical Christians”) voted him into office – and, now, to rub it in more to people like me, republicans in Congress are protecting him from the “Russia thing.”  This is all getting a bit convoluted.

So, “we the people” are likely to spend the next week or two arguing about whether or not Roy Moore is “fit to serve” and republicans will attempt to get Trump to claim he’s not (what do you think Moore’s response to that will be?).  In the meantime, the push to FLEECE we the people will continue and there will be little notice in the “media.”  The affect of the tax cut on America’s Middle Class will be more significant than the issue with Moore, because, in actuality, I believe the voter’s in Alabama will decide whether or not he’s “fit to serve.”  If they still choose to elect him to this treasured office it will just be another “straw” in the reality that the America I envisioned as I grew up (during the 50’s and 60’s) is becoming unrecognizable.  Remember, it’s the so-called “Christians” who are backing Moore.  I have to say this – it appears to me these people haven’t read past the Old Testament.  Just sayin……………..

If I could have envisioned a way to undermine America’s standing in the world, a way to turn one American against another, to create an environment where violence seems more and more possible, having a man like Trump as president would be the perfect scenario.  Now that it’s actually happened, it’s up to the media to understand how they’ve been played, it’s up to the voters in this country to understand how they’ve been played, and it’s up to the politicians who actually put country before party to change how things work in Washington DC.  This tax cut SHOULD be the last straw with “we the people.”  It appears to me that over HALF of those in the Middle Class will be paying higher taxes – while people like Trump are “laughing all the way to the bank.”  When will “we the people” wake up.  We have about two weeks from when I’m writing this to stop this tax cut from happening.  I’m not encouraged we’ll be able to do it.  Remember, if republicans fail to deliver on this, the “checks will stop coming.”  To the republicans in Congress that would be like me being cut off from my Diet Pepsi.  Unthinkable!

Final Thought:  I’ve been watching MSNBC today and the “pundits” are disgusted by the alleged behavior of Roy Moore but it doesn’t seem to bring  back too many memories of Trump and the accusations against him.  You don’t have to look very hard to find many MORE women who accuse Trump of the same stuff Moore is accused of.  To me, both men seem deplorable.  It’s hard for me to accept that Trump is allowed to push a tax cut on “we the people” that majorly benefits him and negatively affects myself and MILLIONS of other Middle Class taxpayers.  And, to make it worse, the title of the legislation suggests it’s a “Middle Class” tax cut – AND, if passed Medicare and Medicaid will almost immediately be in the “cross-hairs” of the budget hawks.  (After I started this post Al Franken was accused of Sexual misconduct.  He actually admitted to doing so and almost immediately an ethics inquiry in the Senate began.  All democrats immediately denounced Franken’s behavior – maybe that show’s one difference between democrats and republicans – my question is – why hasn’t there been an investigation into Trump’s alleged sexual misconduct?  Why does he get a pass?  What is everyone afraid of?)

I started this post over a week ago – I can’t keep up with everything that’s been happening.  Trump finally came out and “endorsed” Moore – sort of.  He said, “Judge Moore has denied all the charges” – saying, basically, the women are LIARS.  Where do you think “Judge Moore” got that strategy.  Trump, and his advisors, are essentially saying an accused “child molester” is preferable to a democrat.  Yikes!