Author: Ronald

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Following Tradition Of His Father, Seriously Considering Challenge To Donald Trump Within Republican Party

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It now looks more likely that President Donald Trump may have a second, and potentially, more viable Republican opponent for the Presidential nomination in 2020.

Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld held office from 1991-1997, and was the Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee in the Presidential Election of 2016. He will be 75 years of age in 2020, nearly a year older than Trump. He is a legitimate candidate, but having been out of office for nearly a quarter century, it weakens his ability to draw support.

But now, Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan is exploring the idea of announcing, and this should be encouraged.

Hogan has been Governor of a very “Blue” state since 2015, and won his second term in 2018, He has managed to be bipartisan in a state in which the legislature is heavily Democratic. He will be 64 years of age at the time of the election, a full decade younger than Trump.

His father of the same name was a renowned Maryland Republican Congressman from 1969-1975, and served on the House Judiciary Committee that voted three articles of impeachment in 1974 against President Richard Nixon, and the only Republican on the committee to vote for all three impeachment articles. His speech announcing his vote for all three articles of impeachment was truly a “profile in courage” at the time.

Hogan is a rare “moderate” Republican, a centrist and pragmatist, much respected by Democrats. In a June 2018 poll, Hogan had 60 percent support from Democrats. He has a record of environmental reform; immigration reform; support of gay rights and gay marriage; gun control legislation; free community college tuition for middle class and lower class students in the state; supports abortion and reproductive rights for women; and opposed the nomination of Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The question is whether Hogan or Weld, seen as similar “moderate” Republicans on most issues, have a real chance to stop Donald Trump’s renomination. The argument is that if they could make Trump weakened at all as a result of their challenge, history tells us that an incumbent President with a challenger in his own party, wins the nomination but loses the Presidency, as happened to William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush in the 20th century.

The Ultimate Age Battle Looking More Likely To Occur: Late 70s Male (Biden Or Sanders) Vs. Millennial Male (Buttigieg)

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An amazing situation may be arising: a battle not over man against woman for the Democratic Presidential nomination, but instead a battle over age between one of two candidates, both of whom are the oldest ever to announce for President and be seen as serious potential candidates, and a candidate who would be by far the youngest President in American history, with only William Jennings Bryan in 1896 being an actually younger nominee.

This blogger is referring to Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders vs Pete Buttigieg.

Biden would be 78 and 2 months on Inauguration Day; Sanders 79 and four months on Inauguration Day; and Buttigieg 39 years and one day old on Inauguration Day.

Both Biden and Sanders are twice the age of Buttigieg.

Biden and Sanders were born in the World War II era, so they are not technically “Baby Boomers”, those born from the beginning of 1946 to the end of 1964, the era in which we have had three Presidents born in 1946 months apart, with Bill Clinton in August, George W. Bush in July, and Donald Trump in June; along with Barack Obama, born in August 1961.

Buttigieg is part of the Millennial generation born in the 1980s, born in 1982, alongside two other Millennial candidates for President, Eric Swalwell, born in 1980; and Tulsi Gabbard, born in 1981.

Social Security Reform Needed Again As In 1983 Between Speaker Of The House Thomas “Tip” O’Neill And President Ronald Reagan

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In 1983, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas “Tip” O’Neill, a clear cut liberal, negotiated with conservative Republican President Ronald Reagan a path breaking Social Security reform, raising the level of taxation on Social Security; and increasing the retirement age by stages to 66 and 67.

This was long range planning to insure that Social Security, begun in 1935 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, would survive into the long term future.

Ever since 1983, this bipartisan spirit has been hailed, but little action has been taken to insure the future, now that Social Security is in danger again.

Of course, the right wing conservatives would love to see the program die, as they opposed it bitterly at the time of passage in 1935 and ever since.

It is clear that if the Republicans control Congress after the 2020 elections, that they will work to kill the program so it is urgent that Democrats win the Presidency and control of both houses of Congress, and proceed to add one percent taxation to the program, and raise the retirement age by stages over the next 20 years to age 68, and eventually 69, for full benefits. More people than ever before work longer now than in past years.

A combination of both a one percent tax increase and age increases will save the system for the next 75 years until the end of the 21st century, and legislation needs to also force all unearned income from stocks to be taxed, as well as earned income from work.

From Barry Goldwater And Hugh Scott To Mitt Romney And Mitch McConnell: The Loss of Republican Principle

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Forty five years ago, there were distinguished Republican Senators who stood up for principle, and pressured President Richard Nixon to resign for his abuse of power in the Watergate Scandal.

These included 1964 Republican Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater of Arizona, and Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, who went to the White House with others to inform him that the vast majority of Republicans were not with the President, and would vote to remove him in an upcoming impeachment trial.

Like any Senator, they wished to promote the advancement of their party and its goals, but also believed in the rule of law.

So they stand out as profiles in courage for their public actions and statements, which did the Republican Party proud.

Now, 45 years later, we have Republican Senators, who on the surface are principled and unhappy about the abuse of power of President Donald Trump, but beyond words, will not take action to inform Donald Trump that his time is up.

So we have Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the 2012 Republican Presidential nominee; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Romney has condemned the actions and behavior of President Donald Trump, but it is just words, as Romney has refused to take leadership to promote the impeachment or resignation of the 45th President.

Meanwhile, McConnell, who worked to deny Barack Obama a second term in the Presidency, and to prevent Merrick Garland from being considered for a Supreme Court vacancy in 2016, has led the charge to cooperate with Trump, as the only purposes McConnell cares about are more massive tax cuts for the wealthy one percent, and the promotion of extremist right wing judges and justices, which will distort constitutional law for the next two generations.

Will Democrats Go Back To A White Male Presidential Nominee After Three Times Not Doing So?

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In the midst of a revolutionary situation in Democratic Party politics, where we have six women and four people of color announcing for President, the question arises whether the Democratic Party will go back to the old standard of a white male Presidential nominee in 2020.

It is often not thought about that the last three times, the Democrats nominated a man of color (Barack Obama), and a white woman (Hillary Clinton).

With the growing number of people of color in the population, and the clear cut advantage for Democrats among women, the question is whether that means the Democrats need to continue down the road they have been on, and in so doing, likely alienating many middle class and working class white males, particularly in the Midwest and South, who feel they are being overlooked and ignored.

So is it wise to nominate Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, Eric Swalwell, Tim Ryan, Jay Inslee, John Hickenlooper, John Delaney, or Seth Moulton?

The ultimate issue is what strategy is best, so that the Democrats regain the Presidency and the Senate, and retire Donald Trump, and lead to his facing criminal prosecution.

The Case For The Impeachment Of Donald Trump For The Historical Record, Even With Understanding That Republican Controlled Senate Will Not Remove Trump From Office

Ronald 4 Comments

The time has come for the House of Representatives, under Democratic control, to begin the ground work needed for the impeachment of Donald Trump, for having committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” in office.

The historical record needs this impeachment action, even with the understanding that the Republican controlled Senate will not remove Trump from office.

If the Republicans went ahead in 1998-1999 to impeach and attempt to convict and remove Bill Clinton from the Presidency, on a case far less abusive and dangerous than Donald Trump, knowing it would not succeed, then there is no excuse for the Democrats to avoid doing the same.

The Republicans will be condemned for allowing the abuse of power that Donald Trump has been waging since Day One of his Presidency, and while it will distract somewhat from the basic agenda of ideas that Democratic Presidential candidates are pursuing, it is part and parcel of the essential responsibility that the Democrats have, to hold Donald Trump accountable.

If they fail to do that, they will be pilloried in history for having overlooked and ignored the movement toward authoritarianism, and it would encourage future Presidents to abuse power in the same manner.

So this is a character lesson for the future of the American Presidency and American democracy, and there is no room for weak leadership, whether from House leadership or Senate leadership of the Democratic Party. Courage and principle are required, and Donald Trump needs to be held accountable, so that in future generations, young people will learn about the evil and the wrongs visited upon the American people by a very evil man, far more evil than even Richard Nixon.

Our future national security and ability to have foreign alliances with democratic nations is also at stake, as well as the perpetuation of the wonderful domestic programs promoted by Presidents of both parties from Theodore Roosevelt through Barack Obama.

When one looks back at impeachments in the past, not only that of Bill Clinton pales by comparison, but also that of Andrew Johnson. And as dangerous as Richard Nixon was, he looks like a choir boy by comparison to Donald Trump.

William Barr, Most Corrupt Attorney General Since John Mitchell Under Richard Nixon

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Attorney General William Barr will go down as the most corrupt person in that position since John Mitchell under Richard Nixon.

Earlier Attorneys General who were disastrous include A. Mitchell Palmer under Woodrow Wilson and Harry Daugherty under Warren G. Harding; and after Mitchell, Richard Kleindienst under Richard Nixon; Edwin Meese under Ronald Reagan; Alberto Gonzalez under George W. Bush; and Jeff Sessions under Donald Trump.

Barr was Attorney General in the last year and a half under George H. W. Bush and helped to arrange the pardon of those who had engaged in the Iran Contra Affair; and now has become Donald Trump’s Attorney General, rather than the nation’s Attorney General, with his covering up on the Robert Mueller investigation into wrong doing by Trump.

While all of the above Attorneys General have besmirched the reputation of the Department of Justice, Barr will stand out as ranking with Mitchell as a person who had no issue with engaging in corruption.

Only Nixon and Trump have had two horrible Attorneys General, a sad commentary on the cabinet officer responsible for enforcement of the law and the Constitution.

25 Years Since Richard Nixon Death On Earth Day

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It is now a quarter century since President Richard Nixon died, ironically on Earth Day, April 22, 1994.

Nixon has been rightly criticized and attacked for the Watergate Scandal and related illegal actions, which led to his impeachment by the House Judiciary Committee, before his resignation when the Supreme Court ordered he hand over the Watergate tapes to the Special Prosecutor, Leon Jaworski.

But historians regard Nixon as the second best Environmental President of modern times, just behind Theodore Roosevelt, and ahead of Jimmy Carter, as he went along with the Democratic Congress in promoting the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, and could have prevented it by a presidential veto.

Many might say that other Presidents belong that high up in the rankings, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and John F. Kennedy, and Obama’s involvement is still being evaluated as to where he should rank in the listings.

One thing for sure, other than TR and Nixon, no Republican President ranks high, except in the damage done, as for instance, particularly with Ronald Reagan, Warren G. Harding, and more than either of them, Donald Trump.

Bill Weld Begins A Quixotic Race Against Donald Trump For Soul Of Republican Party

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Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld (1991-1997), who also was the Vice Presidential nominee on the Libertarian Party line with Presidential candidate Gary Johnson in 2016, has begun what is seen as a Quixotic race against Donald Trump for the soul of the Republican Party.

The question is whether the GOP has a soul, and there is much doubt about it, as they have allowed themselves to become an extremist right wing party that is against the American tradition of fairness, equity, and its own early history of support for civil rights under Abraham Lincoln, and progressivism under Theodore Roosevelt.

This is the time for two others, who are much more likely, if they ran against Trump for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2020, to have a real chance of stopping him, or at least, of tarnishing him enough to cause his defeat in the election.

This blogger is referring to former Ohio Governor and former Congressman John Kasich, and former Utah Governor, former Ambassador to China, and present Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman.

These two were the only decent, reasonable candidates of the Republican Party for the Presidency in 2012 for Huntsman and 2016 for Kasich.

Both have their shortcomings, as all candidates do, but have a distinct record of accomplishments, competency, and decency to revive the Republican historical image that has been lost in recent years, and accelerated by the disgrace that is Donald Trump.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg Is A True Gem, May Be An Inspiring Leader In Future Of America

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South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a true gem, and may be a new authentic leader for America.

Already, he is in third place in polls behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, both of whom could be his father as they are 41 and 42 years older than him.

His announcement speech in South Bend, followed by his interview with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, and his other public interviews and appearances are inspiring, and present a total contrast to the 45th President (Donald Trump), and the 48th Vice President (Mike Pence).

Buttigieg is a religious man, an Episcopalian, and a man who, with his husband, plans to have children, and he spoke about adjusting to the reality that he is gay.

Meanwhile, Pence and his wife have attacked Buttigieg as not truly Christian, which only demonstrates how their Christianity is totally phony, as they preach a view that is hateful and unaccepting, not the message of the prophet Jesus.

Imagine a future debate between Pete and Mike, if Pete ended up as the Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, assuming his potential for the Presidency might wane. That would be the debate of the century in so many ways, and Pete would win easily over Mike.