Big news!  Donald Trump told his 10,000th lie as President of The United States!  Just as he wants it, no one even pays attention to the number of lies he tells anymore - but it seems a couple of his lies are getting attention from the public.  According to The Washington Post, nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe Donald Trump lied about his relationship with Russian interference in our 2016 elections and believe he engaged in an effort to obstruct justice.   Yet, so many don't think impeachment is proper.  When the president lies about cooperating with a foreign government and refuses to take action to stop their their hacking of our elections in key swing states, one has to wonder what would it take to convince Americans he should be held accountable for such actions?  
       Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio has gone public to admit the Russians actually interfered with at least one Florida County's voting tallies in 2016.  Except during the 2018 Midterms, Rubio publicly ridiculed then Senator Nelson's campaign claims of Russian election interference (See: www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article229757064.html),  With such close elections in Florida, any foreign interference with our elections should be safeguarded against, especially proof that our voting tallies have been hacked.  Is it any wonder the ever-increasingly purple state of Florida has gone Republican in every close election since 2000?  
       Another huge lie from Trump is the one told to his supporters that Democrats routinely engage and support "executing live birth babies". Not only is this untrue, but the dangers of such rhetoric are borne out in our history of abortion clinic arsons, bombings and murders of physicians and reproductive health care providers. Yet his audience cheered as if it was all true.  The measure of ignorance in America can be readily displayed at any Trump rally.
        Now we have another massive lie.  Trump, despite his repeated efforts and those surrounding him, was not exonerated by Mueller.  In fact, Mueller laid out 10 instances of Obstruction for Congress to act.  He went further in his report to state that indictments may await Mr. Trump when he leaves office. Despite these facts, Trump supporters cling to the wild notion that the FBI went rogue and attempted a coup.  This was received by such a supporter in a DM from Twitter;
                 "​told clients never talk to the police; becuz they can spin just about whatever is said into a crime;
                the mass of subpoenas the Dems say they are going to issue, you think that is ‘justice’? it is a
               McCarthy era tactic, a fishing expedition, a witch hunt, digging for dirt; looking for something
               someone might say that they can parlay into a crime, or at least leverage for political purposes;
              the reason is to keep media attention away from the  criminal conduct of their players."   
All of this after first debunking his take on Alan Dershowitz claiming no obstruction can occur if there is no underlying criminal action.  Except interfering with a judicial proceeding (including one from Congress) does not require any underlying criminal action to establish "Obstruction of Justice."   The above DM came AFTER proving his belief in Dershowitz to be in error.  He went on to claim he studies "pre-law" in college so he knows the law.  Notice the classic Trumpism deflection - blame Clinton!  One can't teach stupid, and I am tired of trying.  
      But there is hope.  According to a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll, "more than half of Americans will definitely not be voting for Trump in 2020." (See: www.nbcnews.com/card/poll-majority-americans-say-they-will-definitely-not-vote-trump-n964146). But who will be able to defeat Trump and Trumpism in 2020?  Now that Joe Biden has entered the race, Democrats have to figure out which is most important.  Appealing to fringe interests of the Far-Left, or appealing to most Americans hoping someone can come along and restore our belief in government and American values?  
       As President Abraham Lincoln once wrote; "​You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."  Let's hope a majority of Americans (and the Electoral College) find Trump and his followers on the outside of power - for once and for all!  Have a great week! 

        Out of town with family celebrating the holidays.  May you all have a great Passover and Easter!  I will return next week.  In the interim, be well!

         As we head into a holiday weekend, I find myself like others preparing to fly out of state to be with family.  While gone, we can expect the nonsense out of Washington to continue, despite the holidays.  Why?  Because the White house is preparing a "Rebuttal Report" to the Mueller Report that is allegedly being forwarded to Congress.  If Barr's Summary is supposed to be accurate and Trump and his campaign are innocent as claimed (but not as cited in the actual report), then why the need for a Rebuttal?  Could it be that the actual Mueller Report reveals that although one may not be able to indict a sitting president according to Department of Justice policy, Trump and his cache of insiders are really guilty of crimes?  
          But what about Don, Jr. and Kushner's involvement in the Russian meddling?  I guess we shall see what is included in the Barr "redactions."  I am willing to bet that the real issue for Trump is not the fact that there is not enough evidence to convict "beyond a reasonable doubt" (criminal standard), but enough actual evidence exists to establish a "preponderance of evidence" (civil standard) to prove wrongdoing. And this is enough to worry Trump.  Why?  Because the American public may learn Trump both engaged illegal activity, but also has wrongfully encouraged others to minimize the impact of the evidence gathered by Mueller (Obstruction). Since the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the actual effective standard for "political" wrongdoing can be imposed (only Congress has standing to decide what standard it maintains for "high crimes and misdemeanors"). And this should worry Trump - because there is a reason Mueller could not exonerate him.  Now its up to the public to decide if the behaviors evidenced in the actual report are deemed damaging to his future as POTUS.  I guess we won't know until the full report is released.  Expect fallout when Barr's redacted version is provided - I'm willing to bet much of the evidence we need to see will be withheld from the public and Congress.  Then it will be Congress' duty to ensure the full report is released. And the obstruction of the will of the people will become obvious. 
         As President Abraham Lincoln wrote; "Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."  I guess we shall see how shallow the roots are for Mr. Trump.  Have a great week and a great holiday!

           Although many Americans are beginning to see the word "Gaslighting" more and more, many haven't a real clue what the word means.  It is important for us all to understand what it means, so we can recognize when it is being practiced on us by our president and his cult of followers. According to Psychology Today ("PT"), "Gaslighting" is defined as "...a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality." It is more often used to describe a dangerous domestic situation where one partner abuses the other with manipulation, but it has become a daily practice foisted upon the American people by a dishonest president. all to their detriment.  But how? When?  Why?  In order to understand this concept better, let's look at the "11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting" produced by PT. (See: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201701/11-warning-signs-gaslighting). 
         #1. The first warning sign is the occurrence of blatant lies being told, over and over.  PT warns "​They blatantly lie. You know it's an outright lie. Yet they are telling you this lie with a straight face. Why are they so blatant? Because they're setting up a precedent. Once they tell you a huge lie, you're not sure if anything they say is true. Keeping you unsteady and off-kilter is the goal." Mr. Trump and his Administration began to engage in serving up blatant and demonstrably false claims as early as his inauguration in 2017.  The lies though have continued unabated ever since.  According to the Pulitzer winning fact check site, PolitiFact,  Donald Trump has told over 9,000 blatant lies directly to the American Public - all without effective fact checking commentary from any broadcast media. For a complete list of his lies, see:  www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/statements/byruling/false/. 
​           #2 "They deny they ever said something, even though you have proof." "You know they said they would do something; you know you heard it. But they out and out deny it. It makes you start questioning your reality—maybe they never said that thing. And the more they do this, the more you question your reality and start accepting theirs."  Mr. Trump engages in this form of gaslighting every day!  He says he's all for separating children at the border from their parents, then he claims he is "stopping the practice begun under Obama - yet it was Trump all along that eagerly embraced the policy...until he didn't". 
(See:www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/9/18303439/trump-blame-obama-family-separations-debunked).  He then approved a preliminary OMB budget proposal cutting all funding for Special Olympics - until he "saved the day" by reinstating the funding.  Just to save us all - from his own disastrous policy initiatives. He praised Putin and slammed US Intelligence agencies while in Helsinki, and then did an about-face when told his actions were "UnAmerican" (See: www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/trump-russia-putin/565436/).  Okay by now you should be getting the fact that Trump is an expert in Gaslighting our nation.  But it does not end there.  
         #3 is "They use what is near and dear to you as ammunition."  If you are a political opponent, Trump attacks your intelligence or patriotism - all which we all hold dear as Americans.  The examples of these actions are overwhelming - far too many to list each here.  A quick viewing of Right Wing Media will clearly reflect the use of hyperbole or labels to break down difficult and complex matters into a simplistic sound bite. 
       #4. "They wear you down over time. This is one of the insidious things about gaslighting—it is done gradually, over time. A lie here, a lie there, a snide comment every so often...and then it starts ramping up. Even the brightest, most self-aware people can be sucked into gaslighting—it is that effective. It's the "frog in the frying pan" analogy: The heat is turned up slowly, so the frog never realizes what's happening to it." The constant messaging of "NO COLLUSION" and "Clinton loyalists unlawfully initiated the Mueller investigation" are constant reminders that Trump and the GOP care less about the truth and more about gaslighting Americans.  And it surely is working.  
         #5. Their actions do not match their words.  When dealing with a person or entity that gaslights, look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying. What they are saying means nothing; it is just talk. What they are doing is the issue."  Trump (and the GOP) are masters at misdirection with words that force attention to stray aside while they take advantage of America.  Case in point?  Trump claiming all along he will release his tax returns after the election; Trump claiming he cannot release his returns because he is "under audit" (no one knows why that is a impediment to releasing his taxes). Okay, you get the hint. The rest of the Gaslighting warnings from PT?
         #6  "They throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you."  "We're doing a fine job securing the border thanks to our great agents!"  
          #7. They know confusion weakens people. Gaslighters know that people like having a sense of stability and normalcy. Their goal is to uproot this and make you constantly question everything. And humans' natural tendency is to look to the person or entity that will help you feel more stable—and that happens to be the gaslighter.  Trump leads these people as a form of god-like figure.  This is truly sad! 
          #8. They project. They are a drug user or a cheater, yet they are constantly accusing you of that. This is done so often that you start trying to defend yourself, and are distracted from the gaslighter's own behavior."  Trump's singling out Bill Clinton in 2016 for "raping women" and attacking Joe Biden for his need to physically embrace people he feels emotionally tied to is somehow worse than being an admitted sexual predator and assaulter (just "Locker room talk?"  Not according to the women he has had extra-marital sex with - or paid off for same).  Gaslighters like Trump make you ignore what is in plain sight in order to gaslight you into complete submission.  Now Bill Barr, Trump's AG is putting substance to one of Trump's lies, which only serves to accentuate the gaslighting. (See: www.cbsnews.com/live-news/william-barr-testimony-attorney-general-testify-senate-appropriations-committee-today-2019-04-10/). 
           #9. They try to align people against you.  Gaslighters are masters at manipulating and finding the people they know will stand by them no matter what—and they use these people against you. They will make comments such as, "This person knows that you're not right," or "This person knows you're useless too." Keep in mind it does not mean that these people actually said these things. A gaslighter is a constant liar. When the gaslighter uses this tactic it makes you feel like you don't know who to trust or turn to—and that leads you right back to the gaslighter. And that's exactly what they want: Isolation gives them more control."  This explains the cult-like fixation Trump supporters have with him and their inability to engage even a single brain cell to realize they have been duped into subservience. What proud Republican could possibly oppose our dear leader in the White House?   This is a serious affliction that is causing great harm to America - and it is all part of a strategy employed by Mr. Trump to divide us so severely, we will never be able to recover. Am I over reacting?  What more does one need to see the forest from the trees from Trump's constant Gaslighting?
        #10. They tell you or others that you are crazy. This is one of the most effective tools of the gaslighter, because it's dismissive. The gaslighter knows if they question your sanity, people will not believe you when you tell them the gaslighter is abusive or out-of-control. It's a master technique.  Isn't a form of this witnessed on social media?  Everyone that has a real understanding of facts and our history, is easily labeled an "Idiot, Fucktard, UnAmerican, Uneducated, Unpatriotic or (gasp), a Socialist!"  Language reaffirming this technique is used repeatedly by Fox News when they shade reality by challenging those with facts.  Climate Change deniers use this as well - attack science, even though it is real because it does not fit their political narrative. 
           #11. They tell you everyone else is a liar.  By telling you that everyone else (your family, the media) is a liar, it again makes you question your reality. You've never known someone with the audacity to do this, so they must be telling the truth, right? No. It's a manipulation technique. It makes people turn to the gaslighter for the "correct" information—which isn't correct information at all.  The repeated mantra of "Crooked Hillary" chants led by Trump at his pathetic rallies should be enough to prove this point. 
          So there we have it.  Donald Trump is a master Gaslighter and no one in the media seems concerned enough to point this out.  The real victims?  Americans. The only winners?  Trump and his inner circle of grifters.   This is why we must stand firm in all efforts to defeat Trump and Trumpism in 2020.  Many on the Right honestly believe Trump will be easily re-elected in 2020.  They also are the ones that believe having a dictator is better than ever having a democrat in the White House.  And that's proof of the Gaslighting of America by the Liar-In-Chief.  If President Harry S. Truman thought Nixon could never be trusted, I wonder what he would say about Donald Trump?  You can bet an earful!  Have a great week! 

        Now that the race for the Democratic nomination for president has officially begun, can we all agree that no matter who the eventual nominee is, we will support them knowing they have to be better than Donald Trump? Can we all agree that attacking democratic candidates in an effort to secure the nomination for one candidate over another is a recurring example of the Democrats failing to realize that constant trashing of each candidate creates fodder for the GOP to use in further attacks in the General Election.  If Democrats have such negative things to say about their own candidates, how can they convince the public that same candidate is worthy of their vote for President in the General Election? 
        How can the Democrats possibly unseat a man with a cult like following if they remain so divided?  We know Donald Trump IS today's GOP.  He will be assured an entire re-election campaign of free-wheeling accusations, lies and constant free media coverage.  It's one thing to unseat an incumbent president, it's another if the opposition party can't get their shit together and treat party candidates with mutual respect.   It used to be a norm that the ultimate "tried and true" survivor of the Democratic Primary Wars made the candidate "tougher" and better prepared for the rigors of the Fall Campaign.  With Donald Trump, this no longer applies.  Democrats need to show a unified effort to the public, one that guarantees their ultimate nominee has the ability to not only meet Trump on the political battlefield, but will do so without being badly damaged by their own party during the primary season. Democrats needs to stop providing the GOP with attack talking points and smear narratives.
         We have already begun witnessing attacks against announced Democratic candidates by some Liberals.  Some are accused of being too old, too young, not being "Liberal enough" (a standard no one has yet defined), someone who may have too much experience in politics or someone not having enough experience in politics.  Some are attacked because they are allegedly "mean" to their staff, while others are attacked because they mentioned their religious faith (which offends some on the Far-Left who think religion is a waste). Others are being attacked because they may have said something over a decade ago, but are not allowed to change their opinions.  And yes, attacks have been leveled against folks that have not even declared if they are actually running.  How does this portray the Democratic Party as inclusive and open to everyone's views?  It doesn't.  It looks both bad and as divided as ever.
        Note to Democratic Party.  You must defeat Donald Trump in 2020! Victory by a slim margin, although it delivers the White House, will do little for our nation to root out the dangerous policies and beliefs of Trumpism that have taken root under Trump.  It can only be done if the Democrats win in a landslide in both the popular and Electoral College Vote.  Tearing each other's candidate down with smears serves the purposes of the GOP.  And what about those whose candidate failed to win the 2016 nomination?  Did they think sitting out the General Election was going to be a smart move?  When using their refusal to vote as a message of their true feelings, did they think Hillary was going to win regardless?  Although they may have felt reasonable Americans would still vote for Hillary, they didn't.  So much for using their brains. Which is why I am calling this out now before we go too far down that same road that leads to nowhere near the White House.  For our nation and the world's sake,  Donald Trump and Trumpism must be defeated in 2020!  So Democrats - get your shit together.  If you refuse or can't, then get used to seeing Trump win a second (and perhaps permanent term as POTUS). 
         As President John F. Kennedy once said; "The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."  The ignorance of Trump and his cult of GOP voters impairs our democracy.  We can restore America and what she stands for in 2020, but it will require a unified Democratic Party.  Have a great week!