I guess it’s going to take a two by four to the side of the head for some republicans to accept what Trump is doing to their party and, more importantly – from my perspective, to our country. And, then some of them still won’t “get it.” I saw Jim Jordan from Texas (republican in the House “freedom caucus”) on TV the other day on MSNBC and he was embarrassing. The guy is totally defensive for Trump and he has a very poor grasp of the facts. He’s adopted the “but Hillary” defense of Trump and, I guess, is suggesting that since Mrs. Clinton used a private email server when Secretary of State (exactly as had Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell) it’s OK to look the other way from Russia ATTACKING our nation! These people really are what Mrs. Clinton referred to them as during the campaign: deplorables!
The evidence of why Trump NEVER says a bad word about Vladimir Putin continues to mount. Again, for most republicans, there may not be enough evidence for them to be willing to actually take defense of the basic fundamentals to our democracy seriously. After all, it is the republican party that Putin and the Russians were helping. I’ve long said republicans believe the end justifies the means – I just NEVER could have imagined getting help from Russia would be acceptable – even to them. (Keep in mind, the Koch brothers’ fortune was originally made in Russia during the days of Stalin – so, who knows?)
Now, we find out that Cambridge Analytica, the data collection firm which the Trump campaign used to focus their FAKE news during the campaign, STOLE Facebook profiles from 50 MILLION unsuspecting Americans and used it to guide their internet advertising and propaganda campaign. This is the company founded by Robert and Rebecca Mercer along with Steve Bannon who was the “brains” behind Trump’s campaign upset victory. I’m presently reading “Devil’s Bargain” subtitled “Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency,” and NOTHING regarding the revelations about Cambridge Analytca surprises me after reading this book. The Mercer’s are the MONEY behind Trump and, before he was kicked out of Trump’s “orbit” and out of Breitbart “news,” Mr. Bannon was the “brain.” Bannon is as unscrupulous as they come – and, in addition to orchestrating the Trump disaster on America, this combo of right wing extremists (the Mercer’s and Bannon) played a significant role in the Brexit situation in Great Britain. Pure and simple, they are “white nationalists.”
Whether Bannon and the Mercer’s are part of the collusion stuff with Trump and Russia remains to be seen. However, as we learn more and more about what Cambridge Analytica was doing in the campaign for Trump, it’s becoming clearer to me they very likely were involved in helping the Russians TARGET their FAKE NEWS in such a sophisticated manner that people all around the world have been scratching their collective heads. How were the Russians able to be so precise with the Facebook advertising they did during the campaign for Trump and against Mrs. Clinton? Keep in mind, Steve Bannon had been targeting Hillary Clinton for several years prior to the election in anticipation she would be the democratic nominee. In addition, he had employed David Bossie, of the infamous “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision that has allowed republicans to CORRUPT America’s politics beyond many people’s abilities to imagine – certainly mine. But, do you really think Bannon would turn down help from the Russians?
Almost in parallel, the Russians were sending TARGETED messages to Trump supporters and, TARGETED negative ads toward Clinton supporters in much the same manner the Trump campaign was doing the same. And, MOST of this “TARGETING” appears to have been based off of the STOLEN Facebook data no one knew about until this past week. I’ve always felt Steve Bannon was not as innocent as he tried to portray himself while in the “White House” as he was constantly in a “battle” with Jared Kushner and the other Trump “progeny.” Well, it was Kushner, himself, who apparently “hired” Cambridge Analytica during the campaign, but I can’t bring myself to believe that the Mercer’s and Bannon had nothing to do with that decision. As I was listening to the details of how Cambridge Analytica collected this STOLEN data, it seemed implausible to me that Bannon wasn’t the driving force behind the “theft.” As was clear in “Devil’s Bargain” Bannon has NO scruples – possibly rivaled in that trait by only Trump himself.
The Mercer’s have a lot of money (Billions) and Bannon has a lot of money so they will be able to put up a spirited defense of their actions from the campaign, but I’m guessing Robert Mueller is going to want to talk to Bannon again – if not to the Mercer’s as well. Just as Trump seems to think he’s above the law, I get the same feeling regarding Bannon. Well, they both could be in for a big surprise. This revelation today, could add months to the “Russian investigation” because this could be the link that proves the COLLUSION. For anyone still confused on the “collusion” issue, that “boat sailed” the day we all learned about the June 9, 2016 meeting Don Trump Jr., Kushner, and Paul Manafort had with the Russians offering incriminating evidence on Mrs. Clinton straight from the Kremlin. Just attending that meeting was COLLUSION – no matter what they got from it!
And, the cover-up of that meeting via the letter composed on Air Force One by Donald Trump Sr. with the help of Stephen Miller, Hope Hicks, and others was “obstruction of justice.” Of course, there are at least three instances which could be easily interpreted as “obstruction of justice” (that I can tell) since Trump took the “oath” of office, and maybe more. In fact, I’m guessing the FIRING OF Andrew McCabe will ultimately fall into the “obstruction” scenario Mueller ultimately comes up with. But, now, the issue of COLLUSION (TREASON) seems to be right back on the “table” and there are several possible “characters” involved. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had a situation where Donald Trump and Steve Bannon were testifying against each other. Personally, despite his comments to the contrary, I don’t consider Trump to be very smart. I can see a scenario where Bannon was busy working with the Russians with Trump in the dark. (of course, that would not excuse the cover-up and the clear OBSTRUCTION of justice by Trump – on multiple fronts)
I was a sixth grade teacher for the last third of my working lifetime (actually, almost half) and, as I’ve said several times on this site, I’ve always thought Trump reminds me of a sixth grade BULLY. Bullies often have trouble with “telling the truth.” We used to tell kids who had a propensity to LIE, “tell the truth, there’s less to remember.” Well, obviously, no one ever got through to Trump with that thought, and he’s getting pushed more and more into a corner. Like MOST bullies, he’s lashing out at those who he thinks he can intimidate, but many of his present “adversaries” aren’t being intimidated by his idle threats (a common trait of bullies). So, this COLLUSION thing is about to really engulf Trump’s “orbit.” Could his attempt to fire Mueller be getting near? Earth to republicans, if that happens, you’re officially “on the spot.”
Will Trump lash out to “protect” his children? Will he fight even harder to protect the reason he’s so AFRAID of Vladimir Putin???? I’d say Jared Kushner is a likely candidate to have a lot of explaining about his role in the parallels between the Russian Fake news and the Cambridge Analytica Fake news – and, his involvement in both situations. Just as the emails STOLEN from the Clinton campaign were STOLEN illegally, I have to assume the data STOLEN by Bannon and company was STOLEN illegally. The “you know what” seems to be headed straight for the fan!
It’s hard to keep up with Trump’s scandals. This Cambridge Analytica situation, while extremely serious, isn’t the only thing “hitting the fan” for Trump these days. Now, the women who he’s attempted to BULLY are coming forward and FIGHTING BACK. That’s the one thing Bullies hate – is when their victims FIGHT BACK! Well, the adult film actress, Stormy Daniels (aka Stephanie Clifford) is fighting back very aggressively and she’s got an attorney who appears to me to be far more sophisticated than the attorneys Trump is able to get (he’s “stiffed” so many lawyers in the past, many won’t work for him – plus, he’s a terrible client because he won’t follow their advice) and, Ms. Clifford is GOING to have her “day in court” – it just may be in the “court of public opinion.” I believe what motivated Ms. Clifford to fight back was Trump’s attacks on all the other women since he took office. And, now, apparently, there are six more women who’ve contacted Ms.Clifford’s lawyer with their own “stories to tell.” This is going to get more and more interesting. (Unless you’re Donald Trump)
The bottom line here is that as more and more information becomes public, we see more and more reasons why Trump should NEVER have been president. This entire disaster is the result of what I’ve been writing about for years – and, that is the steeper and steeper TILT to the right encompassing the republican party. I can no longer be an independent because I can’t support any candidate that is willing to stand by this president and the people behind the scenes in the republican party. When Ronald Reagan won the “White House,” for example, David Koch ran on the Libertarian “ticket” for president and got about 1% of the vote. Of course, David Koch and his brother Charles are the MOST significant financial backers of the republican surge to the “right” – leading to the “tea party” faction which is the base for Trump. These are the same people who would have been OK with Sarah Palin a few years ago. And, these are people who, like Bannon, are very sophisticated technologically and willing to “win at all cost.”
They’ve (the Koch’s, the Mercer’s, Bannon, Trump, and others of the same ilk) been a part of the republican propaganda “machine” that, for years, has modeled it’s strategy on the work of Joseph Goebbels, the head of propaganda of the Third Reich back in Nazi Germany. Goebbels’ “Big Lie Theory” is based on the reality if you “tell a LIE over and over enough, people will believe it’s the truth. Fox “news,” the right wing talkers on the radio airwaves, and the “leaders” of the republican party all follow this “philosophy” in concert with each other. And, they have to nurture those who are on the other end of their propaganda. There’s a reason Trump called people wearing Nazi arm bands and chanting Nazi slogans at Charlottesville last year “very fine people.” It’s a FACT that upwards of 60% of Trump’s “base” still believe President Obama was born in Kenya. They still believe that “liberals” have caused the massive deficits. And, they still believe that Trump is “draining the swamp.” I could go on and on, but I hope you get the point.
Whether or not we discover Trump and his campaign “colluded” with Russia, to me is no longer the issue. Trump is a buffoon and he’s enriching himself as president and he’s destroying America’s traditional (since WW II) standing in the world. He’s already arguably committed numerous “high crimes and misdemeanors” and, if republicans want to have any chance to save their party, it’s time to get this man out of office. Personally, I believe Mike Pense is also vulnerable to an “obstruction of justice” charge – based on his willingness to LIE in defense of Trump’s “obstruction” – especially, in the FIRING of James Comey (I’ve noticed, for the past month or two, we’re not hearing much from Pense – he likely sees the “writing on the wall”). Ideally, for “we the people, Trump wouldn’t be impeached until after the November election when democrats are likely to retake the House of Representatives. If Pense is caught up in the obstruction, the next in line for the presidency is the Speaker of the House. The thought of Pense or Paul Ryan doesn’t make my stomach that much less queezy than with Trump at the “helm.”
I’ll end this be repeating a thought that I’ve stated several times on the site and that keeps reappearing in my mind. When I think about how this era of American history will ultimately find its way into the history books, I see Trump and many around him (for example, Devin Nunes, the aforementioned Jim Jordan, Bannon, Trump Jr., Kushner, and others) are headed for a place in American history alongside Benedict Arnold. Working in concert with a foreign nation to win an election, I believe, will be considered TREASON by MOST Americans – and, much of what Trump is doing which would indicate he would like the same “power” as Putin is counter to what America stands for and, despite her many blemishes, has stood for in her history. When the final chapter of the Cambridge Analytica “saga” is written, I believe the “collusion” issue may be much clearer! And, Trump will be even more an anathema to MOST Americans. Sad!