With everything coming out this past couple of weeks from President Trump's twitter feed, the now famous words of Ronald Reagan used against then incumbent President Carter come to mind - "There you go again!" (See:
www.torontosun.com/2017/02/19/sweden-terror-attack-what-has-he-been-smoking-swedes-confused-by-donald-trump-claims-in-saturday-rally).  As predicted, the president seems hell bent on making lies such a fixture of his public face, one has to believe that he has two strategies engaged.  One is to make the public "numb" to his constant lies (leaving him immune from further attacks) and another to convince his supporters who have checked their brains at the door that as president, he alone is not to be questioned or criticized (recall senior advisor Miller's comments a week ago, "The president is not to be questioned!" (See: www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/trump-adviser-stephen-miller-says-the-presidents-power-will-not-be-questioned/2017/02/13/0f772184-f14f-11e6-9fb1-2d8f3fc9c0ed_video.html). Yet, neither strategy is healthy for our democracy.
            From calling out the media on Twitter as "The enemy of the American People" to using fake terror attacks to promote his tough stance on refugee assistance, Mr. Trump continues to denigrate what actually made America great in the first place.  But like Trump, I am sure that some are also willing to say, "Hey Rubin, there YOU go again!"  Being mindful of Mr. Trump's first strategy, we must never fall into complacence when the rhetoric from the president and his White House is to bank on it.  We must never get used to being lied to by our leaders, never!  And we should never allow ourselves to put our guard down when attacks are being made against the liberties guaranteed in our Constitution.  This is exactly what Mr. Trump is attempting to do - to divide us along ideological lines so that his message will resonate with his dedicated followers.  Case in point.  At his last Florida rally (the campaign has ended for most Americans but to Trump, the adulation of crowds seems to be the only thing that satisfies the man's huge and delicate ego), he called upon a supporter to speak to his adoring crowd.  Except the guy, Gene Huber admitted to the crowd that he salutes and prays before a large cardboard cut0out of Trump.  And this is considered normal? (See: thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/320307-trump-supporter-who-he-invited-on-stage-salutes-cardboard-cut).  Somehow I don't think the Framers thought too highly about someone in the future idolizing a cardboard cutout of a president without understanding that this president does not believe in the Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to the media.  If this isn't "over the top", I don't now what is!
         We have had presidents rail against a media that has been unfriendly to their administrations.  Even Andrew Jackson engaged his old friend Francis Blair to come to Washington to start a newspaper (The Washington Globe) solely to provide propaganda in support of the president's policies.   But no president has attacked the American media as somehow an "enemy of the American People" as Trump has.  Is this simply hyperbole from a president attempting to sway the American public towards his policies?  Yet, how can it be when the president has not articulated any real tangible policies to support or oppose?  Instead, a strategy is being employed to somehow discredit the media so no one will heed its collective call when abuse of our liberties is underway.  Anyone recall the words of Richard Nixon at the height of the Watergate Scandal?  He said "The press is our enemy!"  Sound familiar?  Yet, the role of the Media, protected in our Constitution has been embraced in the past. Abraham Lincoln once wrote; "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."  But what are real facts when we have an Administration that continues to lie about matters that are demonstrably false?  One can only guess it is his strategy to immunize himself with his loyal supporters who will believe him despite their own personal knowledge otherwise.  Which is a tried and true attribute of an authoritative figure.  Even President George W. Bush weighed in and has criticized Trump for his attacks on the free press. “I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy,” Bush said. “We need an independent media to hold people like me to account." "Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive and it's important for the media to call to account people who abuse power, whether it be here or elsewhere,” he added. (See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/02/27/george-w-bush-critiques-trump-on-travel-ban-free-press/?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_bush-1130a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.be19c227fd92
         So without quoting Thomas Jefferson on his view of a necessary media (already done in many other publications), I leave you with this quote from Benjamin Franklin; "Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom - and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech." So let's keep reminding ourselves, Liberty and Freedom require a Free Press and those that attack it, are certainly a danger to America! Have a great week!

        I've got to tell you all I'm getting tired of writing about the nonsense coming out of the White House and from our president.  Aren't you too? But that is exactly what they all want us to feel - tired and worn out so we stop commenting about them incessantly talking nonsense (attack in Sweden? See: www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/20/trump-asked-people-to-look-at-whats-happening-in-sweden-heres-whats-happening-there/?tid=pm_pop&utm_term=.270ddab57091).  Just this week, the president (on his third trip to Florida to play some golf), stated in a rally of alleged supporters, telling them the media is "the enemy of the people!"  In an earlier tweet, President Trump proclaimed, "The fake news media (failing @NYTimes, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN, is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people!" (See: www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-tweet-media-enemy-american-people-235150).  
        I know his strong supporters will agree with him, because well, they will always believe this man.  They will believe anything that he says or tweets because he represents everything about them.  "The country has been damaged by Obama and the liberals!"  Donald Trump will make America great again!"  "We are the laughing stock of the World and Donald Trump will restore us to our position as the best country in the World!"  Blah, blah, blah.  Unfortunately, I think I have figured something out about Trump and his (current) supporters in the GOP!  You may recall that many years ago I wrote about the strength of the GOP in pushing concerns in front of the public while they secretly work to undermine the nation with questionable legislation.  In other words, the ultimate con game.  Watch my right hand very closely while my other hand steals you blind.  And something akin to this is happening right now in Congress!  Just take a look at the GOP-led Congress and their recent legislative moves - all along party line.
        This past week the Republicans have passed Bills for the president's signing that have gone largely unnoticed because the focus has been on the ramblings of a "twitter" president.  Case in point.  The House this past week voted 223 for and 190 against a Democratic Bill that would force a floor debate on a bill currently stuck in Committee that would establish a "National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election."   Yes, the Republicans - admitting that evidence exists that the Russians attempted to interfere with our elections (and very may well have), refuse to conduct hearings to determine what actions the Russians may have engaged in and whether any candidates for office were targeted or benefited from said interference.   You read that right, a real enemy of our democracy has been disclosed to have been meddling in our elections and the House Republicans have blocked any efforts to create a Commission to investigate it.  Wow, and the media is the enemy of the American people?
       But what other sleight of hand moves have the GOP engaged in?  How about a Senate vote 57-43 to approve a House GOP Bill that nullifies federal regulations restricting persons with "known serious mental health illnesses" (not issues, but actual illness) from passing federal background checks on gun buys?  Huh?  Yes, it seems the gun lobby has successfully convinced (ie., bought off) the GOP-led Senate to allow ANYONE, regardless of mental illness to buy a firearm.  Under the law now being nullified, the Social Security Administration was required to notify background checking authorities when someone is receiving disability payments for mental health disabilities.  Now they no longer are allowed to provide said information. Do the majority of Americans feel safer knowing the documented mentally ill should still be free to purchase guns and ammo?  Especially those with delusions that may include murder, rape or suicide?  We all know insanity is a defense to a charge of a crime, but what defense is there for a country to specifically ignore and set aside mental illness as a possible element for a deranged killer to buy weapons to potentially murder other Americans?  We want "extreme vetting" of refugees because of the remote future risk they may pose against Americans' safety, but somehow allowing Americans with known mental illness to purchase guns and ammo provides no risk, ergo, no need for ANY vetting that relates to their mental illness?  Call me crazy (couldn't resist), but I think that legislation is against the American people! (See:  HJRes. 40). 
       Which gets me to my last point.  When so many supporters of the President believe everything he "proclaims" as true, regardless of their obvious falsehood, perhaps they are the folks the GOP is trying to protect by giving them the continued unfettered right to buy guns and ammo?  I mean, anyone that can see with their own eyes the sky is blue but if told by their "leader" the sky is orange and it changes their own minds, perhaps they too suffer from a form of mental illness?  Please do not misinterpret me.  I am not claiming all supporters of Donald Trump are mentally ill.  But I think many of them just might be (did you hear about Gene Huber, the Trump supporter who claims he salutes and prays every day to a cardboard cut-out of Donald Trump? See: rincon-news.com/2017/02/19/surprise-trump-hands-the-mic-to-supporter-at-florida-rally/). 
         As President Thomas Jefferson once wrote; "No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will."  The role of an independent media is at the core of our liberty.  Imagine what else our government could get away with if we did not have a solid, independent and free media? Imagine what our government could get away with if citizens no longer have the will to pay attention and monitor their actions? For anyone, especially a president to demand otherwise, proves to be the real enemy of the American people!  Have a great week! 

           Wouldn't it be great if the White House would begin to figure out that outright lying would eventually catch up to them; yet the president and his staff continue to not only spew more lies, but also to flout Ethics Laws.
(See: www. gobbledygook.com/news/kellyanne-conway-federal-ethics-rule-buy-ivanka-clothing/). 
More importantly, I am finding more and more otherwise intelligent people becoming so acclimated by the lies coming from the Trump White House that they have given up caring.  WARNING - this is EXACTLY what Trump and his advisors hope to accomplish - a normalization of lying to the point where no one cares.  What's worse? Those same disengaged citizens have begun to ignore the media - and may actually begin to sympathize with Trump and discount them altogether.  So what gives? Have some become so "shell-shocked" by the Trump "phenomenon" that they no longer care to be engaged at all?  Who will defend Freedom of Speech, Expression, Thought and the Press if citizens disengage and become uninterested in protecting democracy?          
          I ran into someone recently that used to be well engaged in current political matters.  She told me she is much happier these days because she is no longer paying attention to what is going on in the world.  Although I can appreciate why this may be comforting, I cannot help but think that such a reaction is what the Trump folks want to establish (a brow beaten electorate more interested in leaving the protection of our democracy to others).  This is dangerous.  Perhaps as dangerous as having the top national security advisor to the president lie about pre-inaugural conversations with Russian officials and then having the Vice-President go onto national television and lie about it as well. Gee, see any similarities between being told one thing, standing up for it in public only to learn what you were told was not the truth?  Didn't we have countless Congressional investigations into something similar to this (Benghazi?).  (See: (See: www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/national-security-adviser-flynn-discussed-sanctions-with-russian-ambassador-despite-denials-officials-say/2017/02/09/f85b29d6-ee11-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html?postshare=7221486693835937&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.164a69c3fa1c).  Where is the outrage that the Trump Administration is still not coming clean on its relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia?  Does this not bother you?  Not only are we cited false statistics (again even today), false terrorist incidents, but we have been directly lied to about the national security of our nation?  How can anyone defend this?  
          Where is the outrage over the president spending two of his first three weekends golfing instead of being in the White House?  I know, Trump was having high level meetings with the Japanese Prime Minister who also enjoys playing golf.  But if they were strictly working while playing golf, why was Ernie Els a member of their golfing group? (See: www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/trump-plays-golf-els-japanese-prime-minister-abe/).   Perhaps I am wrong, but if any "business" was discussed on the links, can anyone tell me what expertise Mr. Els could have provided to the "conversation", unless they were including South Africa in their "agenda."
          Then we have the narrative that the Courts can never second guess the Commander-In-Chief when it comes to national security.  Just today, Stephen Miller, a Senior Advisor to the Trump Administration declared on Meet The Press that "there's no such thing as judicial supremacy. What the judges did, both at the 9th and at the district level was to take power for themselves that belongs squarely in the hands of the president of the United States."  (See: www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/trump-adviser-stephen-miller-district-judge-can-t-make-immigration-n719911).  Since when doesn't the judiciary have a role in checking either the Legislative or Executive Branch?   And when someone says the "law grants the president unchecked powers" the Court STILL has the authority to overturn the Legislation if it violates the Constitution. (Please note - Under Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch may limit Federal Court jurisdiction, but NOT the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in Constitutional controversies such as these).   Sound like a lot of lawyerly gibberish?  Perhaps, but it IS the way it works, whether high level folks in the government or partisan puppets say so or not. 
        Although there is plenty for me to comment on, I will leave you with this one thing.  President Trump tweeted today the following; "First there was the Declaration of Independence, then there was the Constitution. Now there is #TimeToGetTough.  Available today."  twitter.com/RubinsRants/status/830871273400053766
Any former student of mine would be able to point out the mistake Trump just tweeted.  If our President can't tweet American history properly, perhaps we should ALL get re-engaged and start to pay even closer attention to what is coming out of our White House. (The Articles of Confederation came AFTER the Declaration of Independence and BEFORE the Constitution).  
          In commemoration of President Abraham Lincoln's birthday, I will leave you with this quote: "Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties."  So re-engage, double down on your concentration and never forget, an active electorate is the best defense against those that pursue to strip us of our liberties.  Have a great week!

            As a fan of the politically based and critically acclaimed series, The West Wing, there is a scene in the pilot of the series where we are slowly introduced to members of fictional President Bartlett's Inner Circle.  One of the first to be met is Leo McGarry, the president's Chief of Staff having a conversation with Mrs. Landingham, the president's long-time personal secretary.  In the early scene, Leo (while passing through the Oval Office),  attempts to explain how the president ran into a tree with a bike borrowed from him.  Near the end of the scene, Leo proclaims "You're president is a geek Mrs. Landingham!"  To which she replies, "Pease don't use that language Mr. McGarry, at least not in the Oval Office!"  
             Now we have a totally different scenario - and it is a real one to boot.  Hey America, our president is a LIAR.  I say it because not only does he lie, but so does his Chief of Staff and his "Inner Cabinet", including Vice-President Pence.  Oh how outrageous to be writing such things!  But it is true.  Think I'm lying now?  How many lies coming from the Trump White House does one need to recognize we are not going to get the straight talk from President Trump promised by Candidate Trump?  
        We've already witnessed the lies about the size of the inauguration, but more just seem to easily flow from the Administration.  This past week alone, we have been told repeated lies about the "Muslim Ban" with Trump and his Press Secretary boldly telling the American People that the Executive Order naming seven (7) nations to be the subject of a travel ban was not a "ban at all" but "merely the same thing President Obama did in his Executive Order restricting immigration from the very same countries."  Except Obama's "E.O." did not single out Muslims to be banned.  Obama's E.O.  created a delay in order to create extreme vetting measures to ensure terrorists are not so easily admitted under "refugee status."  The difference between the two?  Trump's BAN included a carve out exception allowing exemptions for Christians.  Yes, he singled out Muslims in the ban, no matter how temporary one thinks 120 days are.  Obama's E.O. did NOT make such exceptions based upon religion.  When pushed hard enough, Trump and his folks (losing the battle with thinking Americans) claimed Obama did the same thing, pivoting to another lie.  On top of that lie, they claimed the "media called it a "ban" and it really isn't a ban!" (See: indexjournal.com/news/world/AP-FACT-CHECK--Trump-claims-on-travel-ban-misleading--wrong-19846603).  Except President Trump himself first labeled his action a "ban"!  Spins and pivots are art of the political world, but repeated lying and then spinning becomes old, very quickly.  
            This past week, in an effort to solidify support for the ban, Trump's mouthpiece Kellyanne Conway went on Chris Matthews MSNBC show and stated with a straight face that there are several instances of refugees committing terrorism in the United States and that the travel ban was necessary to fully vet the so called "refugees."  The example she claimed?  The Bowling Green Massacre. "I bet it's brand-new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre," Conway told Matthews. ""Most people don't know that because it didn't get covered."   But why didn't the "lame" media cover this story?  Was it to protect Obama?  Liberals?  Muslim terrorists?  Perhaps the media did not report the "massacre" she referred to because IT NEVER HAPPENED! Stating events to the extent of a "Massacre" is not just a misstatement - it is a calculated "trial balloon" to see if it sticks.  And the "Bowling Green Massacre" goes to the core of the Trump Administration's difficult struggle with the truth.  (See: abcnews.go.com/Politics/kellyanne-conway-cites-bowling-green-massacre-defend-trump/story?id=45237152 ).
          Wouldn't these lies be enough to convince even Trump supporters that their president has a problem with honesty?  Nope, they remain steadfast claiming that it is "all a liberal conspiracy to bring down our president!"  (Sorry, I have no citation for this claim, but it certainly is the vibe I get from reading "Trumpsters" posting on social media).  The lies from Trump keep piling up.  Less than a month into his presidency, Trump continues a pattern of lies and attempted deceptions.  Another case in point.  When Ethics gurus claimed that Trump had way too many ethical conflicts of interest, Trump proclaimed he relinquished all control of his business concerns to his children and that he no longer had any interest in the companies.  However, it has been reported this week that this too was a lie.  President Trump did no such thing - he never relinquished control of his business assets to anyone, despite his statements claiming to do so.
           "Trump said at a Jan. 11 press conference that he and his daughter Ivanka had signed documents giving up control of all Trump-branded companies. Next to him on a table were stacks of documents he said transferred "complete and total control" of the companies to his sons Eric and Donald Jr. and another employee."   But "The independent nonprofit news service said it had contacted officials in some of the states where the Trumps do business, but found no evidence Trump has begun the process of transferring ownership of his companies to other family members. The newsroom noted on Friday: "To transfer ownership of his biggest companies, Trump has to file a long list of documents in Florida, Delaware and New York. We asked officials who said they have not."  (See: www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/22/511103785/trump-is-yet-to-sever-ties-with-his-business-despite-promises-to-do-so-report-sa).  
          So what is it going to take for Trumpsters to realize their president is still not being "straight" with telling the truth?  Apparently, a helluva lot more than hearing him lie directly to them.  Trump, Bannon and his advisors seem to be playing a "long game" of conditioning their supporters with so many lies, it will confuse them with what the truth actually sounds like - all the awhile eroding public confidence in the government, its institutions and a free press. Has anyone ever even considered what "Alt. Facts" were before Trump?  Before Trump, we simply called them lies.  So why the new label, to make lies seem normal and acceptable?   
              This past week we experienced a botched raid in Yemen, causing not only the death of a brave Navy Seal but also the alleged deaths of dozens of civilians on the ground.  Without the public knowing much of the details of the failed raid, Trump and his daughter took an "unscheduled" Marine One trip to witness the return of the body of the brave slain Seal.  Right Wing media soaked it up as did Trumpsters on social media.  Many such postings had tag lines of "Finally a Commander In Chief that respects the military!"  Except news has been leaked that the first military raid authorized by Trump was not properly planned and was sloppy with insufficient intelligence.  Some in the Trump camp tried to claim Obama had approved the raid only to leave it for the next president.  But, Trump was the one that approved the raid. Does anyone truly expect Trump to give credit to Obama if the raid was successful?  Case in point.
        Throughout the campaign, Trump continuously criticized unemployment numbers released by the Department of Labor as a hoax. "The 5% figure is one of the biggest hoaxes in American modern politics,' Trump said during a speech in August, when unemployment was at 4.9%."  But the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been a reliable source for employment figures.  Okay, so what?  Trump claims unemployment is higher, big deal.  The Average American feels the pain of job losses and stagnant wages.  Except Trump embraced the latest January, 2017 unemployment statistics - attempting to take credit for the jobs reportedly created. "President Trump touted the report earlier in the day as well, telling his Economic Advisory Council crediting the increase in jobs to “a great spirit for the country right now.”  “I think that’s going to continue big league,” he added. “We’re bringing back jobs, we’re bringing down your taxes, we’re getting rid of your regulations, I think it’s going to be some really exciting times ahead.” (See: www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/trump-takes-credit-for-strong-january-jobs-numbers/).  
                While all of the Trumpsters rally around their amazing savior of American jobs, it should be noted that the jobs report Trump takes credit for ran from December 13 through January 12.  You see, the jobs created fall under those created under the Obama Administration, not Trump's.  Just another lie?  I guess it would be a minor one except when Trumpsters continue to point out Obama's weaknesses as president only to lie about their own president's obvious weaknesses (including lying).
               Does anyone remember Candidate Trump constantly criticizing Obama for taking too many vacations and how as president, Trump said he would stay in the White House and work hard to solve our problems instead? "Trump further added that he would not take any vacation as there was “so much work” to be done for the people. We have so much work. There’s so much work to be done. And I want to get it done for the people. I want to get it done. We’re lowering taxes, we’re taking care of health care. I mean, there’s just so much to be done. So I don’t think we’ll be very big on vacations, no.” (See: indiabbc.com/trump-will-not-draw-a-presidential-salary-or-take-a-vacation/).  So where is President Trump this weekend?  At work at his desk in the Oval Office?  Nah, he's taking the weekend off for some rest at his Florida Mir A Largo country club.  So much for not taking time off from his busy schedule running the country! (See: www.freep.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/02/03/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-sean-spicer-coast-guard/97437414/).  I know he's "holding meetings there."  But what type of meetings does he have that could not have been held at the White House?   
              And the latest nonsense? Trump calling a Federal Judge out for issuing an injunction against the Muslim Ban E.O.  (See: www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/politics/donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel-trump-university/index.html). Yep, Trump's at it again.  His latest (besides equating the United States to the killing regime of Putin (See: www.news4jax.com/news/politics/trump-you-think-our-countrys-so-innocent), he tweets "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"  He then further tweeted, "Just cannot  believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!"  
            Except this time Trump is telling the truth!  He is admitting his total disdain for an independent judiciary established under the principals in Alexander Hamilton's famous Federalist 78;
                 "But it is not with a view to infractions of the Constitution only, that the independence of
                 the judges may be an essential safeguard against the effects of occasional ill humors
                 in the society. These sometimes extend no farther than to the injury of the private rights
                of particular classes of citizens, by unjust and partial laws. Here also the firmness
                of the judicial magistracy is of vast importance in mitigating the severity and confining
                the operation of such laws. It not only serves to moderate the immediate mischiefs
               of those which may have been passed, but it operates as a check upon the
               legislative body in passing them; who, perceiving that obstacles to the success
              of iniquitous intention are to be expected from the scruples of the courts, are
               in a manner compelled, by the very motives of the injustice they meditate, to
              qualify their attempts." (Emphasis added). 
        I know this is too much to read for Trumpsters, but what Trump really means when he attacks the judiciary is that he actually does not believe in Separation of Powers and the rule of law (See Article III, US Constitution). So now that we have an admission by Trump that he disregards the Constitution, where are his supporters to complain?  When the man took his oath of office, he swore to uphold the Constitution, including but not limited to the independent powers of the Federal Judiciary (so I guess this does count as just another lie).
           Already this soon into a new Administration, the list of  lies is larger than I can produce herein.  Moreover, we are most likely in for an ever increasing number of lies to come to light as this Administration "settles in".   The fervor of blind support of Trump by his Trumpsters reveals a lack of appreciation for any opposition -regardless of the task left to all of us by our Founding Fathers and Framers - to question authority, no matter what faction it has gained power through.  As I have mentioned before, any Trumpster that enjoys labeling those opposing Trump to be "Snowflakes" should recognize that an accumulation of snowflakes can bring about jagged and dangerous Icicles. Something tells me the collective use of icicles against an overreaching government is exactly what is expected of us in this democratic republic we call America.  As President William Howard Taft once wrote; "Enthusiasm for a cause sometimes warps judgment." We can only hope the enthusiasm held by Trumpsters will one day, relinquish its ultimate hold on folks emotions so that common sense, nonpartisan judgment and sanity can return to our great nation.  And that is no lie!  Have a great week!