Author: Ronald

4th Indictment Of Trump And Total Of 91 Charges: Having No Effect On Many Who Live In Alternate Universe!

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Donald Trump has been indicted on 13 new counts, this time in Georgia on RICO (Racketeering) charges, along with 18 others being indicted, including:

Rudy Giuliani
Mark Meadows
John Eastman
Sidney Powell
Jenna Ellis
Jeffrey Clark

And 12 others not as notable publicly, including many attorneys and Georgia Republican officials.

At the same time, many Republicans in Georgia resisted Trump’s attempts to change the election results in that state illegally, including the sitting Lieutenant Governor and sitting Secretary of State among others.

If Trump or any of the other 18 defendants are convicted, they cannot be pardoned federally, and the minimum sentence on racketeering charges is five years in prison, and even state officials, such as the Georgia governor, cannot give a pardon.

In the midst of all this, already, in just a few hours, we are hearing such individuals as the following who are claiming the charges are foul, and just a partisan attack provoked by Joe Biden:

Ted Cruz
Lindsey Graham
Caitlyn Jenner
Newt Gingrich
Jonathan Turley
Alan Dershowitz

And this is just in a few hours time, and one can be quite certain that almost all Republicans in Congress and many state governors, including top leadership of the national party and Republican Presidential contenders, will prove to be unwilling to back away from support of Donald Trump!

This is clearly a cult, a worship of an authoritarian, and puts the Republican Party at a crossroads, where they may finally be destroying themselves, as democracy and rule of law clearly does not matter to vast numbers of the party, who only want power at any cost, and will lie and cheat incessantly!

So now, after four indictments, the total number of counts against Donald Trump has risen to 91 charges!

The Decline And Fall Of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: The New Scott Walker!

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won a massive victory for reelection in Florida in November 2022, and was seen as a major challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2024.

But his campaign has slumped horribly, and it is now clear that he is the new Scott Walker, the Wisconsin Governor thought to be the likely Republican choice for President in 2016, but ending up as a total flop!

DeSantis has fumbled badly, and is not showing up well in Iowa, where he is spending most of his time.

DeSantis is seen more than ever as an unpleasant, arrogant, nasty, mean spirited, non charismatic individual, and even his own state’s representatives in Congress are not backing him.

His horrendous policies on a multitude of issues, including race, gender, sexuality, health care and education may have won him support in Florida, but Florida is clearly NOT America.

One can only wait for 2026, when Ron DeSantis will finish his second term as governor of the Sunshine state, sadly leaving wreckage in his midst, but with inability to have a third consecutive term, as the Florida Constitution prevents that.

Another Indictment (Number 4) Of Donald Trump Is Coming Soon!

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It is highly likely that this next week to ten days will see the FOURTH indictment of Donald Trump, this time in Georgia for his phone call to the Secretary of State of that state, pressuring him to find 11,780 votes, one more than the margin of victory of Joe Biden in the Presidential Election of 2020.

There is no doubt of the veracity of that phone call, which was recorded, and it demonstrates how brazen Trump was in his corrupt effort to deny Georgia the candidate they supported for the Presidency, Joe Biden, to win that state in the Electoral College.

It seems likely, also, that many others involved in this corrupt conspiracy will be indicted, such individuals as former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and many others, insuring an even more complicated trial calendar for the former President as the Presidential primaries and caucuses come upon us in early 2024.

It sounds as if at least a dozen new charges will be added to the 78 charges already on Trump’s back from three other legal cases, one in New York, and two on the federal level.

It is time for Democratic Secretaries of State to move forward toward disqualifying Trump from state ballots, due to his violation of the 14th Amendment, Section 3, which prevents anyone engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, to be able to hold public office.

Even if just a few large electoral vote states do such action–say, New York, California, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania—there would be no way for Donald Trump to be able to gain enough electoral votes to win the Electoral College!

So time for movement forward, and the sooner the better, so that some other Republican nominee can have the opportunity to run for President, and save the party from a total wipeout in the Presidential Election of 2024!

Kamala Harris At 59, And Her Future Role In American Government!

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Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated her 59th birthday yesterday, and she is seen as a strong partner of President Joe Biden.

Constantly under attack by conservatives and Republicans, she has played the proper role of remaining in the background, not trying to take attention away from the President, which is the proper role for a Vice President.

But she has become more visible on the issues of abortion rights, civil rights, voting rights, gun safety reform, and the promotion of truth in education, including denouncing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis promoting a distorted view of African American history and slavery, and also, his attack on the field of psychology and the teaching of gender and sexuality.

Harris speaks for those who are being attacked and abused, as the Supreme Court moves the nation backward on issues that were thought to be settled decades ago, but clearly are not resolved.

Harris is a very intelligent woman, with a career of being a prosecutor in San Francisco; Attorney General of California; and four years as a United States Senator!

She is superbly qualified to be President, if tragically, in the next five years, she was called upon to take the Presidential oath.

Hopefully, President Biden will win reelection and served capably, as he has so far, but the nation can be comfortable with the possibility of a succession, knowing this is a woman of compassion, decency, empathy, and sincerity.

Republican Presidential contender Nikki Haley has disgraced herself since she had courage as South Carolina Governor in 2015 to take down the Confederate flag after nine black churchgoers were slaughtered. She has lost all credibility, when she suggests that Joe Biden will die and Kamala Harris will be President in the next term, as if that would be the most horrendous thing possible, and it disqualifies Haley’s own Presidential ambitions.

One woman of Asian Indian ancestry feels a need to attack a woman of similar Asian Indian and Jamaican ancestry as unqualified, when clearly, Harris has far better credentials than Nikki Haley has ever demonstrated, particularly Haley’s bending to Donald Trump, and agreeing that if he is the nominee of the Republican Party in 2024, that she would support him!

15 Year Anniversary Of “The Progressive Professor”! :)

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Fifteen years ago on August 11, 2008, this author and blogger created this political and historical blog, “The Progressive Professor”!

A total of 7,862 entries have been published in these 15 years, and 22,922 comments!

I have enjoyed being committed to the discipline of this blog, and hope to continue it in future years, as long as I am able.

I want to thank my readers over these 15 years, and I hope that I have enlightened many readers and followers with my insights as a Professor of American History, Government, and Politics, and as the author of two books.

Thanks, everyone, for the attention you have given this blog over the years!

Abortion Rights Win Support In Seven States Since Repeal Of Roe V Wade!

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Ever since Roe V Wade was repealed by the Supreme Court in June 2022 in the Dobbs V Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, seven states have seen voters choose to support abortion rights!

This is a winning issue for Democrats, and a massive losing proposition for Republicans!

Ohio is the most recent state to reject making it harder to promote citizenship rights, including abortion rights, which will be directly voted on in November in that state.

Previously, California, Vermont, and Michigan passed constitutional amendments guaranteeing the right to an abortion.

Also, Kentucky rejected amending the state constitution to prevent the right to an abortion.

And Kansas rejected an amendment of similar language.

And Montana voted NOT to prosecute medical workers involved in abortion care.

Realize that four of these states—Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, and Montana are Republican states, and Michigan was until the 2022 Midterm Elections when the Democrats gained massively.

So only California and Vermont were really Democratic controlled states.

So this is proof that by vast margins, Americans want abortion rights to be protected, despite the actions of Republicans and the Supreme Court!

The Gerald Ford Presidency Began Today 49 Years Ago

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Gerald Ford succeeded to the Presidency on this day 49 years ago, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, due to the Watergate Scandal, and the Republican Party leadership pushing him to leave the Presidency.

A half century ago, the Republican Party leadership had principles, unlike today in the time of the Donald Trump crisis, when they have, consistently, backed him even through two impeachments, three indictments, and more to come!

Gerald Ford never expected to be President, and was appointed Vice President, with approval of the opposition controlled Democratic Party, upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, who left due to his own corruption, which, thankfully, was discovered, as he would have been a true nightmare, worse than Nixon, had he become President!

Gerald Ford’s ranking has been in the mid 20s among Presidents, with him best remembered for pardoning Nixon, which was criticized at the time; commended a quarter century later; and now has been criticized again as having made it more difficult to remove Donald Trump from the Presidency, when there were opportunities to do so.

And now, Donald Trump is refusing to accept limits on what he can say about his upcoming trials, and is attacking prosecutors, judges, and potential witnesses, and no easy answer what to do about his recklessness.

Gerald Ford is perceived as the most “approachable” Republican President, and his wife, Betty Ford, was delightful as First Lady.

His major impact long term was his appointment of Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who started out as a “conservative”, and retired 35 years later as the most “liberal” member of the Court, having grown and expanded his views on the Constitution and its meaning!

When Ford passed away in 2006, the nation mourned the death of a President who, despite much turmoil at the time, took us through a difficult time with grace and decency!

49th Anniversary Of Richard Nixon Resignation: Time To Hold Donald Trump Accountable!

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It is 49 years since the nightmare of Richard Nixon came to an end, with his announced resignation from the Presidency.

It is now time, a half century later, for Donald Trump, who makes Richard Nixon look like a choirboy, to be held accountable for his crimes and abuses in his Presidency!

Attempts are being made to delay any trial until after the Presidential Election of 2024, but that cannot be allowed to happen.

And if only Congress would impose the 14th Amendment, Section 3, against Donald Trump, then he would be ineligible to run for President, and to undermine American democracy.

Sadly, with a small margin Republican controlled House of Representatives, such a reality will not be happening, and the nation and the world is in danger from an authoritarian Fascist oriented, mentally unstable man, whose followers are a cult that have no concern about the US Constitution and the rule of law!

Governorship Term Limits Likely To Affect Future Presidential Campaigns

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The American Presidency was limited in allowable terms of office by the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution in 1951, after passage by Congress in 1947, two years after Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected to a fourth term in the White House, died 82 days into that fourth term.

So even popular Presidents such as Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, and Barack Obama in the 2010s, could not have returned to the Presidency at any point after their two terms in office.

The issue of term limits also affects state governorships, as 23 states limit governors to two terms maximum consecutive terms. Three other states allow a return after one four year term away from the governorship, and one allows a return after two four year terms away from the governorship. And nine states have a lifetime limit of two terms.

So a total of 36 states limit gubernatorial terms in some form. And one state (Virginia) limits any governor to one term.

So only 13 states have no term limits, including Vermont and New Hampshire, which have terms of two years, not four years!

So when one analyzes these realities, it means governors such as the following, would have to be considered potential Presidential contenders in the future!

Ron DeSantis of Florida
Jared Polis of Colorado
Gavin Newsom of California
Brian Kemp of Georgia
Andy Beshear of Kentucky
Wes Moore of Maryland
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Phil Murphy of New Jersey
Roy Cooper of North Carolina
Doub Burgum of North Dakota
Mike DeWine of Ohio
Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania
Kristi Noem of South Dakota
Glenn Youngkin of Virginia

All of the above 14, 6 Republicans and 8 Democrats, would be out of the governorship, or finishing a second term by the time of the Presidential Election of 2028.

Besides Republicans DeSantis and Burgum, who are already seeking the Presidency, there are strong rumors that other Republican Governors, Youngkin and Noem, might enter the race belatedly, and Kemp and DeWine are long shots for now or 2028!

And certainly, Democrats on this list are not running in 2024, due to Joe Biden, but certainly, it would seem likely that Polis, Newsom, Moore, Whitmer, Murphy, and Shapiro are all likely to plan to run in 2028. Less likely would be Beshear and Cooper, but being from states that Democrats have more difficulty winning, who can say they would not enter the race for President in 2028?

Joe Biden And The Kennedy Family Connection

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President Joe Biden has long had a close connection with the Kennedy family.

He and former Attorney General, NY US Senator, and 1968 Democratic Presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy share the same birthday 17 years apart—November 20—1925 and 1942.

Biden was a supporter of RFK in his 1968 run for the Presidency before his tragic assassination.

When Biden, newly elected to the US Senate from Delaware, lost his first wife and a daughter, and severe injuries to his two sons in December 1972, and was ready to give up the seat he had just won, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy befriended him, and convinced him to be sworn in to the Senate from the hospital room of his two injured sons early in 1973.

The two men became fast friends and allies over the next 36 years in the Senate, until Ted Kennedy’s death in 2009, when Biden had just become Vice President.

Biden’s connection to the Kennedys was much more than Ted Kennedy, including other relatives, such as the widow of RFK, Ethel Kennedy, who lives on at age 95, and close to many other Kennedy relatives.

Biden has a bust of RFK on his desk, always photographed in any photo of Biden sitting at his White House desk.

Additionally, Biden has four Kennedy family members as part of his administration:

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy is Ambassador to Australia, after having been Ambassador to Japan under the Presidency of Barack Obama.

Joseph P. Kennedy III, former Massachusetts Congressman and grandson of RFK, is Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of Senator Ted Kennedy, is Ambassador to Austria.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, formerly Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, is advisor on retirement in the US Department of Labor.

Sadly, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running against President Biden for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2024, backed by Donald Trump acolytes, and spewing conspiracy theories about the COVID 19 Vaccines, and besmirching the great reputation of now retired White House Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served every President since Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden.

His own family members have condemned him for his behavior, including John F. Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg (son of Caroline Kennedy); and it is a sad family tragedy, including for his mother, Ethel Kennedy, still surviving 55 years after her husband’s tragic assassination!