NY Times
After traveling for over a month, I am finally home for a few weeks. While away, the "fun and games" coming out of Washington have been typical, ending recently with the threat of a government shutdown and allegations of the use of the word "Shit-hole" to describe African countries and why President Trump sees a need to limit immigrants from these countries. When accused of being a "racist" Trump and his Trumplings, race to point out they too believe those countries to be "less than desirable" but that does not necessarily mean anything racist. Except they conveniently overlook the statement added from Trump that he preferred immigrants instead "from Norway." What? If this doesn't have a basis in racism, what could ever be considered racists? One thing I've learned in my 60 years is the more one claims they aren't a racist (despite their actions and words), the more likely they are probably a racist. (See: www.cnn.com/2018/01/11/politics/immigrants-shithole-countries-trump/index.html). (See: www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-white-house-doesnt-deny-trumps-shithole-immigration-remark/).
Perhaps the most perplexing thing I have read or heard since my return home has been a constant barrage on social media from Trumplings repeating their idol's claims that Main Stream Media is ensuring his re-election due to their "obsession" with making life tough for him, including the "witch hunt hoax" commonly known as the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (See: www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/31/trump-hating-media-ring-out-2017-with-continuing-attacks-on-him-and-other-media-failures.html). Whenever Trump makes a claim, his followers lock-arms and repeat the claim without giving it one independent thought. As if that is not concerning enough, we have an entire "news" network using their position to indoctrinate the Right Wing into pure Trumplings instead of being free to think for themselves. It has been a long time coming, but a day of reckoning is approaching, and it may not be pretty for Trumplings. Although some may think Trump is "Making American Great Again", they seem to either have slept through Civics classes or (like Trump), are "so smart", they don't need any actual education. They have Fox news and Trump, and that is all they think is needed to move forward. Except they are instead moving into an abyss of ignorance, not forward. Trump says the Democrats are putting our nation at risk when blocking GOP budget bills that ignore the DREAMERS, but the GOP shutdown the government under Obama and didn't seem to mind any alleged effects it had on National Security then. Besides that, the GOP currently can't get the 60 votes necessary to pass a budget bill in the Senate because many Republicans there won't vote for the bill. So why is it always the Democrats' fault? No matter to Trumplings, their man makes the statement, tweets the tweet and they dutifully get in line and take to social media. How sad!
Additional case in point. Even if the Trumplings believe their "leader" and truly believe the investigations into the Trump Campaigns alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 elections are a hoax, why are they also diminishing the reality that Russia did actually use social media platforms to influence our elections? With every intelligence agency reporting the interference and potential cyberattack from Russia, how is it that Trumplings (along with the GOP and Fox "news") seem to not care enough to take steps to protect future elections from said interference? When asked what steps were being taken to protect future elections from interference, Attorney General Sessions stated "nothing was being done". (See: www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-white-house-has-taken-little-action-stop-next-election-n776116). So what gives Trumplings?
Having been an avid follower of Watergate as the scandal unfolded, I am well aware of presidents attempting to divert the media and public attention from their abuse of powers. The first step is to attack the media often enough to convince their base that nothing negative about the president can possibly be true - even if they see or hear it themselves. When asked if Congress should investigate the Russian interference, most Republicans say "no." (See: www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/polling-russia-trump-investigation-partisanship/index.html). May I remind readers that the Framers authorized Congress to aggressively oversee the Executive Branch (including investigations) under Article I of the Constitution. This was meant to be an effective Check and Balance mechanism. Instead, the GOP has used it for strictly partisan purposes (BENGHAAAAAZI) and now seek to slow walk any serious review of Russian election interference. Gee, it wouldn't have anything to do with maintaining Party power at all costs - even at the expense of our democracy? The current GOP seems to now stand for "Generally Only Party" when it comes to their patriotism. In the event one branch of Congress flips to the Democrats in the 2018 Midterms, please no complaining from Trumplings when serious investigations begin. It seems a flip of a branch (or two) is necessary for Congress to get back to work for the country and not solely for the GOP. Better yet, let's elect a new group of legislators holding them to a promise to put Country over Party. At least, that would be a start!
As GOP Senator and member of the Watergate Committee Howard Baker once wrote; "The central question is simply put: What did the president know and when did he know it?" At least the GOP used to care about America more than Party control. Have a great week!
Perhaps the most perplexing thing I have read or heard since my return home has been a constant barrage on social media from Trumplings repeating their idol's claims that Main Stream Media is ensuring his re-election due to their "obsession" with making life tough for him, including the "witch hunt hoax" commonly known as the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. (See: www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/31/trump-hating-media-ring-out-2017-with-continuing-attacks-on-him-and-other-media-failures.html). Whenever Trump makes a claim, his followers lock-arms and repeat the claim without giving it one independent thought. As if that is not concerning enough, we have an entire "news" network using their position to indoctrinate the Right Wing into pure Trumplings instead of being free to think for themselves. It has been a long time coming, but a day of reckoning is approaching, and it may not be pretty for Trumplings. Although some may think Trump is "Making American Great Again", they seem to either have slept through Civics classes or (like Trump), are "so smart", they don't need any actual education. They have Fox news and Trump, and that is all they think is needed to move forward. Except they are instead moving into an abyss of ignorance, not forward. Trump says the Democrats are putting our nation at risk when blocking GOP budget bills that ignore the DREAMERS, but the GOP shutdown the government under Obama and didn't seem to mind any alleged effects it had on National Security then. Besides that, the GOP currently can't get the 60 votes necessary to pass a budget bill in the Senate because many Republicans there won't vote for the bill. So why is it always the Democrats' fault? No matter to Trumplings, their man makes the statement, tweets the tweet and they dutifully get in line and take to social media. How sad!
Additional case in point. Even if the Trumplings believe their "leader" and truly believe the investigations into the Trump Campaigns alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 elections are a hoax, why are they also diminishing the reality that Russia did actually use social media platforms to influence our elections? With every intelligence agency reporting the interference and potential cyberattack from Russia, how is it that Trumplings (along with the GOP and Fox "news") seem to not care enough to take steps to protect future elections from said interference? When asked what steps were being taken to protect future elections from interference, Attorney General Sessions stated "nothing was being done". (See: www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-white-house-has-taken-little-action-stop-next-election-n776116). So what gives Trumplings?
Having been an avid follower of Watergate as the scandal unfolded, I am well aware of presidents attempting to divert the media and public attention from their abuse of powers. The first step is to attack the media often enough to convince their base that nothing negative about the president can possibly be true - even if they see or hear it themselves. When asked if Congress should investigate the Russian interference, most Republicans say "no." (See: www.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/polling-russia-trump-investigation-partisanship/index.html). May I remind readers that the Framers authorized Congress to aggressively oversee the Executive Branch (including investigations) under Article I of the Constitution. This was meant to be an effective Check and Balance mechanism. Instead, the GOP has used it for strictly partisan purposes (BENGHAAAAAZI) and now seek to slow walk any serious review of Russian election interference. Gee, it wouldn't have anything to do with maintaining Party power at all costs - even at the expense of our democracy? The current GOP seems to now stand for "Generally Only Party" when it comes to their patriotism. In the event one branch of Congress flips to the Democrats in the 2018 Midterms, please no complaining from Trumplings when serious investigations begin. It seems a flip of a branch (or two) is necessary for Congress to get back to work for the country and not solely for the GOP. Better yet, let's elect a new group of legislators holding them to a promise to put Country over Party. At least, that would be a start!
As GOP Senator and member of the Watergate Committee Howard Baker once wrote; "The central question is simply put: What did the president know and when did he know it?" At least the GOP used to care about America more than Party control. Have a great week!
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