I’ve been pointing out for years the importance of voting this present version of the republican party out of office en masse. Well, it’s getting more important than ever. 2018 can’t come soon enough for me, and I can only hope the energy that showed itself in the “Women’s March” the day after Trump’s inauguration (which was minuscule compared to Obama’s) will grow. This needs to be a national repudiation of this republican party which, as I’m writing this, is coalescing around Trump and all the baggage that goes with doing so.
Just a few months ago republicans were touting the merits of Robert Mueller as one of the most honest and reliable members of the FBI and the perfect person to be the special counsel. Some republicans even seemed to be concerned that our nation was ATTACKED by Russia in the last election – an ATTACK that is ongoing – AND that Trump and his administration are curiously ignoring. Now, we’ve got one republican after another lining up with Trump as he attacks the FBI, and indirectly Mueller – those in Congress are DIRECTLY attacking Mueller as being “biased” against Trump. This is because these people are smart enough to see the “writing on the wall.” Trump is in Mueller’s “cross-hairs.” Mueller really IS following the facts!
Mueller is NOT biased, the facts, simply speaking, are leading him right into the “Oval Office.” I believe Jared Kushner will be the next person indicted and Trump Jr. is a likely target – although, from what I can tell he’s less vulnerable – except, you KNOW he’s going to LIE somewhere along the lines if he’s interviewed enough. These people ALL LIE all the time. Most legal experts I’ve seen, with the exception of those on Fox “news” – which should be named “GOP news,” are postulating that Trump has committed OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE on more than one occasion. It’s clear to anyone following this “drama” that Trump’s trying to stop the investigation – before it gets to him and his family. (Now, even his lawyers appear to be lying)
The reason I’m feeling Trump is MORE dangerous than I originally thought is because I miscalculated how many republicans would join forces with him as his wrongdoing comes closer to the open. What’s most disturbing about this to me is their willingness to ignore the Russians meddling in our republic – meddling which is going on still and our government is turning a blind eye to it because republicans control the agenda. To me, Trump is repugnant and his willingness to upend virtually everything progressives have fought for over the past 70 years will be generational damage if he’s allowed to get away with it. Like many others, I’m not sure republicans will support Mueller’s findings if it implicates Trump – which appears LIKELY! Yes, we’re talking about a constitutional crisis – full blown!
I’ve said many times I believe republicans fear Trump’s base which showed its “colors” at Charlottesville with the Tiki Torches and Nazi slogans. These were NOT “very fine people” as Trump claimed. These are people like David Duke, former head of the KKK. Most of them, from what I’ve read, are armed to the hilt. Where I live, which is called the “left coast,” many of the Trump supporters I saw during the campaign were wearing holstered hand guns as they carried their “Make America Great Again” flags and signs around. It didn’t work where I live, but, obviously, there were enough disenchanted Americans in the rust belt to swing the Electoral College for Trump by a razor thin margin. (despite the FACT he lost the “popular vote” by 3 MILLION votes!) We’ll likely never know how much the Russians and the voter suppression tactics of the republicans affected that outcome.
America was great before Trump took office – as he furthers his agenda and more of these right wing republicans cozy up to him it’s becoming less great all the time. I recently read a right wing article (I can’t remember the publication) which was ridiculing President Obama’s economic record and trying to ignore the REALITY that Trump is riding the economy Obama left for him – one that was creating jobs EVERY quarter for 7 years and was bordering on BOOMING the day Trump took office. Just as Obama was STUCK with the economy he inherited from Bush/Cheney for the first year (a disastrous one at that – they almost pushed us into another “Great Depression”) Trump lives off of Obama’s economy to this day. Once his budget and other “stuff” (including this terrible tax cut) take effect, then he will be able to claim the results – good or bad. It’s disingenuous for him to claim credit for what Obama and the democrats created – which, by the way, he derided during the election. If he leads us into a recession, America won’t seem so great.
Since Trump took office, he’s been cozying up to one dictator after another while turning our traditional friends in Europe away. I’ve heard reports that the Brits don’t want Trump to set foot on their soil. If “we the people” don’t stand up against this brazen attack on our traditional institutions we stand to be isolated from the friends we fought for and with in WW II. This is bad, It’s REAL bad!
And, democrats. What are they doing? I’m not sure if they have a coherent plan, I’m not sure if they have leaders who have a clue as to how to defeat this Trump “movement.” Trust me, there’s MILLIONS of Americans who will support the right person who’s willing to stand up to Trump and his supporters. Trump’s “approval rating” is nearing 30% – yet, for some reason people like Lindsey Graham – who I once thought would be one of the courageous republicans to stand up against Trump – are joining him in trying to turn the focus of all the investigations back to who else, but Hillary Clinton. Yikes! There SHOULD be a democrat who can mobilize a national resistance to this republican nonsense and to Trump and create a situation where people are motivated to start cleansing “We the people” from this disaster in November of 2018! Obviously, we won’t be able to count on the republicans.
Republicans have been “investigating” Hillary Clinton for as long as I can remember. I guess they’ve forgotten the last hearing where she was grilled for 11 hours in front of the Benghazi committee – where she made them all look as if they didn’t understand how the government functions. If you were a republican, you had to be embarrassed. Well, apparently, here we go again. Astonishingly, republicans are claiming the Mueller team is “pro Clinton.” When I heard that, all I could think was “are you kidding me?” If anyone remembers, it was James Comey who swung the election to Trump with his ill timed announcement that the “email investigation” was re-opened. I remember, at the time, watching the effect that had on the polling – which was terrible for Mrs. Clinton. So, the reality is, Clinton lost. End of story, right? Well, evidently, she is their plan to deflect the attention from the likely reality of Mueller’s probe.
I knew republicans have short term memory issues – it didn’t take them long to forget the damage done by Bush/Cheney to our economy – shortly after President Obama was inaugurated I still remember republicans blaming him for the TARP bailout (Initiated by Bush’s Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson) AND the 1.5 TRILLION deficit – EACH YEAR! Many republicans still believe Obama was responsible for the TARP bailout (thanks to Fox “news”)! Sadly, over the term of Obama’s presidency the so-called “liberal media” let republicans, time and again, blame Obama – and their “blaming” was relentless – for the deficit which was reduced from that $1.5 TRILLION per year when he took office to around $400 BILLION when he left. (I can’t count how many people I’ve pointed this FACT out to who have said, “really, is that true, I’ve never heard that”) Now, the first thing republicans are doing is making the DEFICIT much worse and, of course, you don’t hear a peep out of all the so-called “deficit hawks.” Sad!
Trump clearly has fascist tendencies along with all his other “baggage.” I’m struggling to understand why so many in the republican caucus are now aligning themselves with him – as he’s out campaigning for Roy Moore – who, himself, has mountains of baggage beyond the claims he was a pedifile and sexual predator when he was in his thirties. Thankfully, Alabamians – at least most of them – are able to put country and morality ahead of their political party and are likely to vote Doug Jones into the Senate as a Democrat. Jones, by the way, seems to me to be a very practical and honorable man.
One thing that has bugged me over the years is the democrats willingness to pretty much ignore places like Alabama and other southern states – mostly because of the abortion issue. Well, to me, that’s a stupid strategy. First of all, there SHOULD be a dialogue in this nation about the issue of abortion. That’s an issue for another day – here – but, it’s clear to me, the ONLY reason the Alabama election is even close is because of that issue. Most Alabamians, as well as other parts of America where many people vote based on this issue, are hard working, honorable people. It’s a “fools errand” for democrats to continue ignoring this and pushing people away because of making the abortion issue a “black and white” issue.
America is at a defining point in her history – and, we need to come together as a people. We ARE the “Melting pot” of the world. We’ve been a refuge for people who have been victims of all sorts of terrible circumstances and it’s what makes us “great.” We need to honor our diversity and Trump and his followers are trying to do the very opposite. I believe there’s a “wave” of resistance to Trump going across America – but, until 2018 there’s a LOT of damage Trump and the republicans can do – starting with this terrible tax cut. We the people MUST stay strong – if republicans go after Mueller and attempt to “short circuit” his investigation we need to stand up by the MILLIONS to protest. If Trump is guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” he SHOULD face the consequences and republicans should NOT attempt to circumvent their oaths to the constitution.
The problem is NOT Hillary Clinton. She lost. She’s done. It’s time to move on for republicans. The problem is NOT Barack Obama (Oh, do I miss him in the Oval Office) his term is over and its a shame republicans seem to be on a vendetta to turn us back to before he took office instead of building on what he started. (I guess they’ve really forgotten what they left Obama) The problem IS a foreign adversary ATTACKED our nation – well beyond ANYTHING we’ve ever seen before – and, quite possibly members of Trump’s campaign were working with them to affect the election. We NEED to know this. (I wish the Congressional investigations weren’t so “political” – due to republicans trepidation about the REAL outcomes)
Finally: My guess is that Trump’s “crimes” will include “stuff” that happened well before he took the oath of office. (It really is hard for me to use the word “oath” in the same sentence with Trump – he’s proven his word is certainly not his bond) Republicans will really NOT like seeing that. However, he’s clearly committed enough offenses already that we KNOW of to justify impeachment. Personally, I believe Mike Pense is right there with him – participating in the conspiracy to OBSTRUCT JUSTICE. Sadly, if Congress does it’s duty, this would leave us with Paul Ryan in the Oval Office. That would take America “from the frying pan into the fire.” It’s going to be tough making it to 2020 – one way or the other!