Month: December 2019

Most Significant Events Of 2019 In Public Affairs

When one looks back at the most significant events of 2019 in public affairs, the following would stand out in no special order:

The impeachment of Donald Trump on charges of Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Congress.

The Democratic House of Representatives passing about 400 bills, but almost all going nowhere in the Republican Senate.

The growing influence of Democratic women in Congress, with the most ever being elected to the House of Representatives.

The magnificent leadership and courage of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.

The continuing crisis of global warming and climate change, and the refusal of the US government under Donald Trump to deal with the evolving disaster.

The total lack of empathy, compassion, common decency of the US government toward refugees at the border, particularly the separation of children from their families, often with no tracking and paper work done, meaning many children are lost forever to their parents.

The US Government attack on the intelligence community, the diplomatic community, the judiciary, and the civil servants who serve our nation honorably, and are now being trashed, and many resigning or being forced out, a major loss long run to the American nation.

The growing evidence of the US government being manipulated by foreign powers, including Russia, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other authoritarian dictatorships, at the expense of America’s traditional allies, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and other nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as allies in Asia, including Japan and South Korea.

The growing evidence of corruption, malfeasance, and incompetence of many members of the Donald Trump cabinet, as well as other top officials in many agencies of the US government.

The growing division of the American people by race, nationality, religion, gender, age, and sexual orientation, being encouraged and promoted by the racism, nativism, misogyny, antisemitism, and homophobia of the Trump Administration policies, and the total lack of civility and promotion of bullyism advanced by the 45th President.

6th Democratic Debate Easily The Best, With Pete Buttigieg And Amy Klobuchar Gaining Status And Joe Biden Doing Well Too!

Watching the Los Angeles Democratic debate last night, it was clear that it was, by far, the best of the six debates, with the fact that there were only seven debaters being one of the major reasons, requiring more depth and development of their views.

And the debaters came through well, with all seven having moments of impressiveness.

But the clear cut winners were moderates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, both of whom hit home runs, with excellent statements and retorts when challenged.

At the same time, Joe Biden had his best debate, and Elizabeth Warren also continued to do well.

Bernie Sanders held his own, but shouted too much, while Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang, still the least of the seven, doing better than one would have expected.

The absence of Julian Castro and Cory Booker was felt, however, and it remains a shame that Kamala Harris dropped out of the Presidential race due to financial issues.

The next President was on that stage, and the odds on both Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar vastly improved!

Los Angeles PBS-Politico Democratic Debate In Narrowed Field: Opportunity For Pete Buttigieg And Amy Klobuchar To Gain

Tonight’s Democratic debate in Los Angeles, co-sponsored by PBS and Politico, has a narrowed field of only seven candidates who qualified in polls and financial support.

Sadly, only one person of color, Andrew Yang, who is of Chinese parents from Taiwan, is in the debate, with Cory Booker and Julian Castro unable to meet the thresholds required.

It is an opportunity for Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar, both moderates, to shine and gain on Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, all considered front runners at this point.

The odds of the other two candidates, both businessmen without political experience–Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang–seems unlikely to benefit.

This is the time for Pete and Amy to surge forward, and we shall see how they perform in the two and a half hour debate starting at 8 pm Eastern time.

Republican And Conservative Anti Trump Groups Who Want Trump Held Accountable On Eve Of Impeachment

The Lincoln Project and Republicans for the Rule Of Law are two Republican and Conservative anti Trump groups which have formed, and want Donald Trump held accountable on the eve of his impeachment by the House of Representatives.

The Lincoln Project Super PAC founders are George Conway (husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway), Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, and Rick Wilson.

The Republicans for the Rule Of Law is headed by Bill Kristol, and many conservatives have bitterly denounced Trump for years, including Jennifer Rubin, Max Boot, and George Will.

It is time for former Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman to denounce Trump, joining John Kasich, former Ohio Governor in that direction.

Former Florida Congressman David Jolly has been a major personality working against Trump on MSNBC commentary.

The only hope for the Republican Party future is to start the fight to redirect the party away from the cancer of Donald Trump!

Trump Reaction To Impeachment Monitors Andrew Johnson, Very Different Than Richard Nixon And Bill Clinton

As Donald Trump faces impeachment on Wednesday, one can monitor his behavior as being similar to Andrew Johnson, and very different from Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Trump refuses to take responsibility for his behavior and actions, as was the case with Andrew Johnson in 1868.

Richard Nixon was intelligent enough to realize the game was up, and to resign in dignity, while Bill Clinton profusely apologized for his behavior.

Donald Trump’s behavior has been reprehensible his entire life, but finally, he is being held accountable, and his future obituary will include that he is the fourth person impeached by the House Judiciary Committee, and the third to be impeached by the House of Representatives, and put on trial before the US Senate.

Nothing he can do can escape that fate, no matter the result of the Senate trial!

Is UK Election Result A Warning Sign To Democrats For Presidential Election Of 2020?

The massive defeat for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson gaining legitimacy for Brexit, is a shock that might be a strong warning to the Democrats for the Presidential Election of 2020.

It IS possible that Donald Trump could win a second term, and IF Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren were to be the Democratic nominee, portrayed as too far to the left, that could be the result.

It could be that this promoted the moderate centrist view–that Joe Biden, or Pete Buttigieg, or Amy Klobuchar–might be the best choice for the Democrats.

The Moment Of Reckoning For The Reputation Of Chief Justice John Roberts And His Court

The time has come for the Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts and their reputations.

Will the Court rule that Donald Trump’s tax returns shall be made public, which will indicate the depth of corruption, Russian Collusion, and reality of just how wealthy Trump is? This is a group of cases which might take months to be decided, but will have the potential to repudiate Trump.

Also, Chief Justice Roberts will preside over the Donald Trump impeachment trial, and while not directly involved in the final vote, Roberts will have an impact with his rulings on procedure.

Roberts is the third Chief Justice to preside over a Presidential impeachment trial, after Salmon P. Chase over the Andrew Johnson Trial in 1868, and William Rehnquist over the Bill Clinton trial in 1999.

Roberts’ reputation is at stake in the long run of history, not only for these issues mentioned here, but for the reality that he has become, effectively, the swing vote on many cases, since Justice Anthony Kennedy left the Court 18 months ago.

Commemorating Death Of George Washington To Impeachment Of Donald Trump: How Far We Have Fallen!

Today, December 14, marks the 220th anniversary of the death of President George Washington, who set such a great standard for Presidential leadership.

Washington could have stayed in office until his death, as many idolized him, but he believed in a term limit, and set standards for Presidential behavior in the way he conducted his office, that benefited America for the long term.

But now 220 years after his death, we have a President who has abused power more openly than even Richard Nixon, and far more than Bill Clinton or Andrew Johnson, and has wished he could be President for life. He has also hinted that he will refuse to accept defeat or leave office whether in 2021 or 2025, now a constitutional limit as a result of the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951.

This moment of impeachment of Donald Trump is one when the nation must unite to rid us of the cancer of this evil, corrupt man, and if not by trial in the Senate, by massive defeat in November 2020!

It’s Official: Donald Trump Becomes 4th President To Have House Judiciary Committee Adopt Articles Of Impeachment

It is now official!

President Donald Trump has had two articles of impeachment adopted by the House Judiciary Committee, making him the 4th President to face such a situation!

Andrew Johnson in 1868; Richard Nixon in 1974; and Bill Clinton in 1998 preceded him.

Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868; Bill Clinton in 1999; and Richard Nixon resigned before the entire House of Representatives could vote to impeach him, which was a certainty, and therefore the US Senate did not conduct an impeachment trial in his case.

The impeachment trial will take place in January, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding, as previously, Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase in 1868; and Chief Justice William Rehnquist did in 1999.

Doug Wead, Jonathan Turley, Alan Dershowitz–Three Rare Academics Who Support Donald Trump

As the impeachment of Donald Trump moves forward, there are those academics who support Donald Trump, but very few indeed.

Historian Doug Wead, who has no actual college degree, attending a Bible College, and gaining an honorary degree from Oral Roberts University, became noted for his books on Presidential children and on Presidential parents. He has become the official biographer of the Trump Presidency, and is just out with a new book on Trump. But he has been repudiated and denounced by many conservatives, and even some evangelicals, and was criticized for lack of ethics by the Bush family, and denounced when he ran for a Congressional seat in Arizona, by former Senator Barry Goldwater in 1992.

Law professor Jonathan Turley of George Washington University testified recently as the only law professor of four, who felt the impeachment against Donald Trump was faulty. At the same time, he had supported the impeachment of Bill Clinton a generation ago. He is called by many a liberal on many issues, but many conservatives have embraced him, and he has been totally contradictory on just about every imaginable issue in the past thirty years.

Law Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School has been highly controversial with his constant support of Donald Trump, and his own scandalous words and actions on many legal matters, including his past defense of O J Simpson, and his support of Donald Trump in the impeachment crisis the President now faces. There are rumors he might be added to the defense team for the upcoming impeachment trial.

Meanwhile, over 500 law professors around the nation have called for Donald Trump’s impeachment and removal from office, and a list of hundreds of historians is also in the works on this, including this author and blogger.

Among the famous historians advocating impeachment and removal from office are:

Doris Kearns Goodwin

David McCullough

Douglas Brinkley

Jon Meacham

Michael Beschloss

Later today, the House Judiciary Committee will formally impeach the President, becoming the fourth time in American history that this has happened.