American Democracy

Trump Attack On Legal Immigrants And Naturalized Citizens After Attack On National Guard In DC: Outrageous!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is now inciting greater nativism, utilizing ICE, and targeting legal immigrants and naturalized citizens, some here for decades, and undermining the security of various ethnic groups that have settled in America, specifically Afghan nationals and Somali nationals in recent years.

Trump also has said he wants the end of immigration from “third world nations”, displaying his racism, considering only “white” immigrants from Europe and elsewhere, including whites who have been allowed to migrate from South Africa, to be acceptable.

This is all part of a plan that the Ku Klux Klan, and the American Nazi Party historically, and many recently formed hate groups, as outlined by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, and all other past and present white supremacist Christian groups and advocates, such as Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, as examples, are celebrating.

But it also threatens those of Jewish and Muslim religions, so is also an attack on religions outside of right wing Christianity.

Even Pope Leo XIV has promoted compassion, empathy, decency, and an open attitude toward immigration, reminding us that true Christianity and true democracy puts out its arms for the downtrodden, the oppressed, the victimized, totally opposite what Donald Trump is espousing and implementing.

Trump And Republicans Suffer Major Setbacks!

Ronald 19 Comments

Donald Trump and the Republican Party are suffering major setbacks, and giving hope to those who believe in the preservation of American democracy!

After resisting the issue of the Epstein files, Donald Trump finally caved in, and today, the House of Representatives saw all members, except for one Republican, give up on trying to avoid revelations on the issue of sexual abuse of women and young girls, by a host of wealthy people promoted by Jeffrey Epstein, who called Donald Trump his “best friend” for many years.

And a great victory against discriminatory Texas gerrymandering was won by the decision of a three judge panel, including a Trump appointed judge, that Texas was promoting an unjust action, negating it, which gives Democrats who successfully are redistricting California, a major edge for midterm elections in 2026!

And cases are being lost in court about the use of the National Guard and ICE agents around the country, in the midst of horrendous abuses being visited on immigrants who are victims of racial profiling, even when citizens.

The Catholic clergy are also taking a strong stand against the mistreatment of immigrants by ICE Agents.

Additionally, with the effects of tariffs causing rise in prices of all kinds of goods, public opinion ratings of Donald Trump are collapsing, coming close to an all time low, near what it was at the time of the US Capitol January 6 Insurrection!

The fight for democracy will be won by resistance of decent Americans against the abuses being perpetrated by Donald Trump and his Fascist lawbreakers!

It is a fight that will take patience and determination, but it can be won!

Massive Setbacks On A Century And More Of Reforms Since Theodore Roosevelt!

Ronald 36 Comments

The United States, from the time of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Era (1900-1917), began what has been a century of massive political, social, and economic reform, making America a growing vibrant democracy that survived two World Wars and the Cold War.

But now, under Donald Trump and his evil aims, America is in the process of losing a multitude of reforms that have benefited the nation.

Among them:

Environmental legislation
Consumer legislation
Social Security
Medicare and Medicaid
Women Suffrage
Civil Rights Legislation
Labor Legislation
Corporate Regulations
Housing Legislation
Agricultural Legislation
Disabilities Legislation
Immigration Reforms
Educational Legislation

These areas of reform occurred under multiple Presidents of both parties.

But leave it to “Project 2025”, and the entire century plus of reforms and commitment to a better nation for all, is in the process of being wiped out!

Republican Vice Presidents Since 1969—Vance The Worst Of The Worst Since Spiro Agnew! :(

Ronald 4 Comments

In the past 56 years, we have had six Republican Presidents—Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.

In that same period, we have had eight Republican Vice Presidents—Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, George H W Bush, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney, Mike Pence, and JD Vance.

It is well recognized that three of these six Republican Presidents are rated higher than the other three—meaning Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, and Gerald Ford.

George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump are in the bottom third, with Trump nearly at the total bottom.

When one looks at the eight Republican Vice Presidents, only Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, and George H W Bush are seen as above average.

Ranking the remaining five is ranking as much lower and far worse in performance, with Spiro Agnew seen as the bottom, but with Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney seen as not much better, and with Mike Pence just slightly above them.

And then, there is the present Vice President, JD Vance, who in seven months has managed to cause outrage by his utterances and his actions, making one fear the thought that he might be the successor to Donald Trump.

At age 41, if Vance became President by succession before the summer of 2027, he would be the youngest President in American history, as Theodore Roosevelt was 42 years and 10 and a half months of age when he succeeded the assassinated William McKinley in September 1901.

Compared to his predecessor, Mike Pence, Vance has managed to be much more controversial, and makes one at least admire Pence for having strong convictions, including refusing to accept Donald Trump’s assertion that he should support a rejection of the Electoral College results in the Presidential Election of 2020.

This led to the threatened hanging of Mike Pence by the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrectionists, who had set up a noose outside the building.

One cannot be sure that Vance would be any improvement on Donald Trump, as he is clearly totally unprincipled and insensitive in his statements and actions, and therefore, cannot be trusted as a potential future Commander in Chief.

Vance should be promoting the preservation of American democracy, but seems more interested in supporting the authoritarianism of Donald Trump, which presents a dire threat to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

By comparison, the Democratic Party has had four Vice Presidents since 1969—Walter Mondale under Jimmy Carter; Al Gore under Bill Clinton; Joe Biden under Barack Obama; and Kamala Harris under Joe Biden.

While the view of Harris is too recent to be reliable, any estimation of the significance of Mondale, Gore, and Biden makes it clear that they are the top three Vice Presidents of modern times, and arguably, of all time!

Maryland Governor Wes Moore MSNBC Jen Psaki Interview An Inspiration, Emerging As Sensational Presidential Possibility In 2028!

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Maryland Governor Wes Moore appeared on Jen Psaki’s evening show on MSNBC on Tuesday evening, and it was a true revelation.

Already impressed with Moore before now, this author and blogger was “blown away” by Moore’s tough stand on the issue of Donald Trump using the National Guard in Washington, DC, and calling out the President for his lies about crime statistics.

His 20 minute interview was masterful, and one sensed, whether he intends so or not, that Moore has been catapulted into the Democratic Presidential field for 2028!

There will be a multitude of potential candidates over the next few years, but Moore certainly drew attention by his assertiveness and toughness, and reminds one in many ways of former President Barack Obama.

As a Governor and with a military record one can be proud of, Moore has advantages in both areas of expertise, that even Obama did not have.

And having had one African American President, there is no reason why the nation cannot, 20 years after the election of the first African American President, have a repeat scenario once again of a man who would do the nation proud, and help to revive American democracy!

Trump Threatens Any Republicans Who Support NPR And PBS: Time For Courage, Conscience, And Principle To Resist!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is on a rampage to eliminate all media reporting of the horrible truths of his first six months in office.

He is trying to eliminate the free media and press through lawsuits of privately owned media, including most notably CBS and ABC; and to wipe out financial support of two institutions that have been crucial in public information and truth—National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), created during the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson six decades ago.

Both NPR and PBS are great treasures, who have always had citizens contribute to their well-being, including this author and blogger. But there has also, always, been public tax support of the massive positive impact of both agencies, which is a pittance, when one considers federal expenditures.

Trump’s attempt to destroy NPR and PBS, and to promote censorship of major television and cable news, as well as the best newspapers that keep America free (specifically the NY Times and Washington Post, along with the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal), along with other major print media, needs to be resisted at all costs, as the one way to insure American democracy survives the nightmare of Trump authoritarianism!

It is urgent that Republicans in Congress show some courage, conscience, and principle, and resist threats from Trump to oppose any party member who resists his desire to destroy public media that has done so much good for 60 years!

If they do not, on such a small investment as this, then it is time for the Republican Party of history to be declared dead, and admit we have a Fascist party, with elements of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Juan Peron, and even Adolf Hitler!

Back From Vacation Break, And Total Mayhem! :(

Ronald 58 Comments

This author and blogger took a well deserved and needed vacation, and avoided following news of public affairs for the past ten days!

Now I am back, and total mayhem is in process on so many levels!

The continued violation of civil liberties, with the arrest by ICE of unjustified individuals; the arrest of a Democratic Mayoral candidate and New York City Controller Brad Lander; and the decision to back up Israel’s war on Iran by Donald Trump taking the bold action, without Congressional consultation or approval under the War Powers Act of 1973, to bomb Iranian nuclear sites—this all causes a sense of total mayhem in action!

We have a President who has taken a controversial action without any consultation, and his mental stability seems lacking in a sense of giving confidence that he knows what he is perpetrating, a possible major Mideast War, having learned nothing from the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.

40,000 US troops are in danger in the Middle East by the unstable, emotional reaction of Donald Trump, who is continuing to alienate our long term allies in Europe, Canada, and in Asia.

We have just passed the five month point of this four year term, and there is no comparison possible for the tumultuous, overwhelming, and shocking series of events that have taken place in both foreign and domestic policy!

One has to wonder how the survival of American democracy and the rule of law, and our 80 year stable set of allies in the world, can be accomplished with the reality that there are three years and seven months until the next Presidential Inauguration, and one year and five months until the next Congressional Elections, which the Democrats need to win to attempt to put controls on the most dangerous President in American history!

It is hard to be optimistic as we look to the future!

Inauguration Day: A Day Of A Right Wing Extremism Revolution Crisis!

Ronald 18 Comments

Inauguration Day has come and gone, and all the worst possible scenarios of what that day would be like, have been accomplished.

America is in the midst of a Right Wing Extremism Revolution, totally mean spirited, and vengeful.

Donald Trump did not hold back in his open criticism of Joe Biden, right in front of the outgoing President.

He moved to promote a vast number of executive orders, and made clear his repudation of a climate crisis, and his aggressive attitude toward Panama, indicating a likely forced retaking of the control of the Panama Canal.

He also gave pardons or commutations to all of the January 6 Insurrectionists, a travesty of justice, and a clear signal to those lawbreakers that they can commit future crimes with impunity, as long as they do so in the name of Donald Trump!

He also showed his plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America via Presidential edict, although that would not be legal, and to bring back the old name of Mount McKinley in Alaska, which had been renamed Denali after a native American tribe.

This also marks the new admiration of President William McKinley, based on his promotion of high protective tariffs in the Gilded Age, and his promotion of expansionism, including the Spanish American War and the takeover of the Hawaiian Islands during his administration from 1897-1901.

It will take many days, if not weeks, to fully absorb what Donald Trump is doing to revolutionize America and take away basic American democracy.

But those who care about democracy must not give up the fight, and be in despair, as instead, it needs to be looked at as a crisis similar to the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Great Recession, and the Covid 19 Pandemic, each of which was overcome by strong, principled leadership by various Presidents and Congresses!

Joe Biden’s Ego Helped Cause Democratic Defeat!

admin 18 Comments

This author and blogger has been a longtime fan and supporter of Joe Biden, going back decades!

Biden has had an historic Presidency, and has been listed as number 14 in Presidential rankings by the American Political Science Association.

Biden is a decent, compassionate leader, a model of what a President should be. He saved American democracy in winning the Presidency in 2020.

But sadly, when one looks back now at the Presidential Election Of 2024, it must be said that his ego helped to cause the Democratic Party defeat!

Being an advanced age, Biden should have announced after the midterms in 2022, that he would finish his term, but leave the future of the party to a primary contest of Democrats who wished to succeed him.

It is possible that Kamala Harris, who ran an heroic 107 day race, would have been the nominee in any case, but Biden allowed his ego to get in the way of what was best for the Democratic Party and the nation at large.

Biden is being “blamed” by many for his refusal to accept his age as a limit, and the realization that he was not the same person in 2023 and later that he was in 2020.

That reality will tar, somewhat, his reputation, which is highly regrettable.

It will not mar this author’s view of the 46th President, but history will record that it was a mistake for Biden to remain in the race when he should have announced his withdrawal.

Why Kamala Harris Is Likely On The Road To Victory

admin 10 Comments

Although the polls are very close in the Presidential Election race of 2024, all signs are good that Kamala Harris is likely on the road to occupying the Oval Office as the 47th President of the United States after the November 5 election date.

Harris is ahead in most polls in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada, which if true, would give her a 287-251 Electoral College victory, also including the Second District in Nebraska.

There is no doubt that Harris will easily win the popular vote, and possibly by more than the 7 plus million vote victory of Joe Biden in 2020.

Additionally, Harris is ahead in the following categories:

Urban voters
Suburban voters
College Educated Voters
Women Voters
African American Voters
Latino Voters
Jewish Voters
Asian American Voters
Voters 18-29 Years of Age
Voters Over Age 50
Labor Union Voters
Gay And Lesbian Voters

Of course, being ahead does not mean that the percentages of each voter category are what they have been in the past, or that one would think they should be, so there is plenty of work ahead in the next 25 days to convince voters in all of the above categories to support Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump will have the edge with:

Rural Voters
Non College Educated Voters
White Male Voters
Wealthy Voters
30-50 Years of Age Voters
Religious Voters

It is clear that there are still those Americans who have not made up their minds, so non stop campaigning is essential, as this election is crucial to the survival of American democracy, the rule of law, and maintaining the US Constitution!